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Reese McGuire, pictured above in a spring training game for the Toronto Blue Jays. (Scott Audette/AP)

Blue Jays’ McGuire ‘will definitely’ address fans about arrest, Atkins says

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DUNEDIN, Fla. – Toronto Blue Jays catcher Reese McGuire wants to address his recent arrest for exposure of sexual organs once he’s completed the legal process, general manager Ross Atkins said Friday.

In the interim, the general manager said the 24-year-old – picked up by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department after being exposed in his car while parked in a strip-mall parking lot – "won’t be impacted from a baseball standpoint, as things stand today."

McGuire is due to appear at the Criminal Court Complex in Clearwater on March 16.

"What I can tell you about Reese is that we understand this is a very, very difficult situation for everyone involved," said Atkins. "It is not an easy one for anyone to go through. Hopefully people can understand that, because of legal process, we’re just really limited to what we can comment on and want to be respectful of that process. I can tell you that the organization, we’re struggling with it, it’s a very difficult situation and very difficult for Reese as well.

"I also can tell you that, in due time, we will have more specifics on the legal process and Reese will definitely be addressing the fans, and he wants to be doing that."

McGuire arrived at camp slated to share catching duties with Danny Jansen during the upcoming season, although the exact split of work remained to be determined.