Twins' Miguel Sano denies sexual assault allegations; MLB looking into matter

3:08 PM ET

Major League Baseball is looking into allegations that Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano sexually assaulted a woman who was working as a photographer for team events in 2015.

Sano issued a statement Thursday denying the allegations.

"I unequivocally deny the allegation made against me today -- it never happened," Sano said in the statement. "I have the utmost respect for women, especially those working in professional sports, and I deeply sympathize with anyone who has experienced sexual harassment. There is no place for it in our society."

In a tweet posted Thursday, the woman said Sano grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her inside a bathroom at a store in a mall after an autograph session. She was there with Sano, his agent and her boss.

She alleged that the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Sano tried to kiss her several times.

"Every time he did, I said no and kept pulling back," the woman said in her Twitter post. "... I screamed, no one came to help me. He finally gave up after a solid ten mins of fighting to pull me thru that door.

"... Every time I have to hear how great people think Miguel Sano is, I'm reminded of how awful he actually is and how he hurt me."

In replies to the tweet, the woman said the Twins knew nothing about the incident.

The Twins issued a statement Thursday saying there were aware of the allegations.

"Today the Minnesota Twins were made aware of allegations involving Miguel Sano at an offsite appearance during the 2015 season," the statement said. "The Twins, along with Major League Baseball, take these allegations very seriously. Until more information is gathered, the Twins will have no further comments."

The woman said she told people, including her family, at the time, but wasn't quite ready to share with the whole world until Thursday. She used the hashtag #metoo with her tweet, which has gained popularity in encouraging women to publicize experiences to demonstrate the widespread nature of sexual abuse.

The woman said she now works for the St. Paul Saints, an independent baseball team.

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