Major League Baseball handed down an eight-game suspension on Tuesday to Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor for his role in a weekend brawl with the Toronto Blue Jays caused by the hard slide of and subsequent punch to slugger Jose Bautista, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.
Heyman says Odor plans to appeal the suspension, citing an unnamed source.
Flashback to the 2015 ALDS, Bautista hits a major 3-run homerun in the bottom of the 7th against the Rangers. That’s when the infamous bat flip occured. Bautista, full of emotion, flipped his bat in the direction of the Rangers dug out.
Fast forward to Sunday. During his last at bat in the last game he’d face the Rangers in, Bautista is drilled by hard throwing righty Matt Bush, whom the Rangers had called up only a few days sooner. Bautista went to first base with nothing more than a few stares. Later a ground ball caused a force play at second base. Bautista admittedly slid hard and illegally into second, where Odor was waiting to make the play. The slide caused Odor’s throw to be off allowing the runner at first to be safe. Bautista and Odor immediately got into each other’s faces. Then Odor shoved Bautista back. Bautista then stepped toward Odor and Odor landed the punch heard round the world. The benches cleared and a total of 7 players were ejected.
Later when asked about the fight, Odor said that he didn’t regret punching Bautista and that he was defending himself. “It’s part of the game” he said.
Odor can appeal the suspension. If he does, the suspension will be held in abeyance until John McHale, MLB’s chief information officer and executive director of administration, hears the appeal.
Odor is the first Ranger to be suspended for an on-the-field action since second baseman Ian Kinsler, in September, 2010. Kinsler received a one-game suspension for returning to the field to participate in a victory celebration after having been ejected.
Update (per MLB statement):
- Shortstop Elvis Andrus (TEX) suspended one game.
- Pitcher Jesse Chavez (TOR) suspended three games for beaning Prince Fielder.
- Manager John Gibbons (TOR)suspended three games.
- Outfielder Jose Bautista suspended one game.
- Pitcher Matt Bush (TEX) fined for hitting Bautista
- Pitcher A.J. Griffin (TEX) fined.
- Catcher Robinson Chirinos (TEX) fined.
- Bench Coach Steve Buechele (TEX) fined.
- Outfieler Kevin Pillar (TOR) fined.
- Bench Coach DeMarlo Hale (TOR), acting as manager after Gibbons was tossed, fined following Chavez ejection.
- Pitcher Sam Dyson (TEX) fined.
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