Red Sox star Ramirez charged with hitting wife

Former Red Sox baseball star Manny Ramirez was ordered by a Florida judge on Tuesday to stay away from his wife after he was charged with striking her in a domestic dispute.

Ramirez, 39, who is originally from the Dominican Republic and won two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and 2007, was arrested on Monday after his wife, Juliana, complained to police that he hit her face with an open hand during a heated argument at their Weston, Florida, home, a police report said.

Judge John Hurley set Ramirez' bail at $2,500 and barred him from contacting his wife.

Ramirez was charged with battery and taken to a Davie, Florida, jail on Monday, the police report said.

According to the report, the former World Series Most Valuable Player acknowledged that the couple had an argument while in bed. But Ramirez told police that he only grabbed his wife by the shoulders and shook her, causing her to hit her head against the bed's headboard.

"She was afraid that the situation might escalate even further so she promptly called police," arresting officer Jose Campos said in his written statement.

Campos said Juliana Ramirez sustained red swelling on the left side of her face, which was "consistent" with her testimony.

Ramirez played in the majors for 18 seasons, hitting 555 home runs with a .312 batting average.

However, Ramirez' career was marred by accusations that he used performance enhancing drugs. He retired from baseball in the spring of 2011, shortly after he tested positive for a banned substance for the second time.