ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays catcher Derek Norris denies a claim by his ex-fiance that he was physically and emotionally abusive to her during their relationship and that he will cooperate with Major League Baseball’s investigation of the matter.

Kristen Eck told the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday that she left Norris last June, about eight months after a 2015 incident in which Eck said the player put her in a “choke-hold” and grabbed her hair and arms after she confronted Norris about talking to another woman.