The Houston Astros fired assistant general manager Brandon Taubman on Thursday, admitting in a statement that his "inappropriate comments" about the acquisition of closer Roberto Osuna was directed at a group of female reporters.

A report published earlier this week by Sports Illustrated's Stephanie Apstein said that during the celebration in the Astros clubhouse after clinching the American League Championship Series on Saturday, Taubman turned to a group of female reporters -- including one wearing a purple domestic violence awareness bracelet -- and repeatedly yelled, "Thank God we got Osuna! I'm so f---ing glad we got Osuna!"

Last season, Osuna, 24, served a 75-game suspension for violating MLB's domestic violence policy stemming from an incident that happened while he was a member of the Blue Jays.

"Our initial investigation led us to believe that Brandon Taubman's inappropriate comments were not directed toward any reporter," the Astros said in Thursday's statement. "We were wrong. We sincerely apologize to Stephanie Apstein, Sports Illustrated and to all individuals who witnessed this incident or were offended by the inappropriate conduct," the statement read. "The Astros in no way intended to minimize the issues related to domestic violence. Our initial belief was based on witness statements about the incident.

"Subsequent interviews have revealed that Taubman's inappropriate comments were, in fact, directed toward one or more reporters. Accordingly we have terminated Brandon Taubman's employment with the Houston Astros. His conduct does not reflect the values of our organization and we believe this is the most appropriate course of action. We are thankful to Major League Baseball and to everyone that cooperated in the investigation. As previously stated, the Astros are very committed to using our voice to create awareness and support on the issue of domestic violence. We fully support MLB and baseball's stance and values regarding domestic violence. We will continue to make this cause a priority for our organization."

The Astros initially called the report "misleading and completely irresponsible." Taubman later apologized for his language but said his comments were misinterpreted. Astros manager AJ Hinch told reporters Tuesday that the incident was "unfortunate" and "uncalled for," while general manager Jeff Luhnow told Sports Talk 790 on Wednesday that "from my perspective, clearly something happened that [Taubman] regrets."

Major League Baseball is investigating the incident. On Wednesday, commissioner Rob Manfred said he was "really concerned" about the allegations.

Information from ESPN's Bradford Doolittle was used in this report.