Bautista suspended 1 game for brawl with Rangers
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista received a one-game suspension for his role in Sunday's benches-clearing brawl against the Texas Rangers as well as his postgame comments, Major League Baseball announced Tuesday.
Bautista will appeal the suspension, and as a result is in the Blue Jays' lineup for Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
A total of 14 players from both teams were handed disciplined for their roles in Sunday's melee, including an eight-game suspension for Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor.
Player | Team | Discipline |
---|---|---|
Rougned Odor | Rangers | 8 Games |
Jesse Chavez | Blue Jays | 3 Games |
John Gibbons | Blue Jays | 3 Games |
Elvis Andrus | Rangers | 1 Game |
Jose Bautista | Blue Jays | 1 Game |
Tim Leiper | Blue Jays | 1 Game |
Matt Bush | Rangers | Fine |
Sam Dyson | Rangers | Fine |
A.J. Griffin | Rangers | Fine |
Robinson Chirinos | Rangers | Fine |
Steve Buechele | Rangers | Fine |
Josh Donaldson | Blue Jays | Fine |
Kevin Pillar | Blue Jays | Fine |
DeMarlo Hale | Blue Jays | Fine |
Related: Gibbons, Chavez suspended 3 games
The most notable part of Bautista's suspension may be that Major League Baseball cited his postgame remarks as part of the reason for the ban. Following Sunday's contest, which the Rangers won 7-6, the 35-year-old admitted that he purposely slid hard into second base, which sparked Odor's punch.
"I had a hard slide at second base," Bautista said. "I could have injured him. I chose not to. I was just trying to send a message that I didn't appreciate getting hit."
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Bautista also sent some criticism towards the game's umpires, saying they "mismanaged" the situation, apparently referring to their issuing warnings instead of ejecting Rangers pitcher Matt Bush after he hit the six-time All-Star. Bush was fined for intentionally throwing at Bautista.
Related - Bautista: Hitting me in last AB of series was 'cowardly'
Some other notable players who received fines were Griffin and Chirinos, who earned their punishments for entering the field while on the disabled list. Dyson, Pillar, Donaldson, Hale, and Buechele were all fined for what the league called "aggressive actions."