ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler and Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López each received seven-game suspensions from Major League Baseball on Wednesday, a day after they were ejected following their participation in a brawl.
Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations, also announced that the players received undisclosed fines. The suspensions were scheduled to begin with Wednesday’s game but were put on hold pending appeals from each player.
MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association reached an agreement to have López’s suspension reduced to five games, effective immediately. With an off day, López will be able to keep his scheduled next start for Atlanta.
Soler started in right field and batted fourth in Wednesday’s finale of the three-game series.
Soler homered off López in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game. In his next at-bat, Soler was hit by a 96 mph fastball from López. In the fifth, Soler charged the mound after López threw a high-and-inside wild pitch that tipped off catcher Jonah Heim’s mitt.
As Soler began walking toward the mound, López held up his hands and the two glared at each other before both started throwing punches.
“I asked him if everything was OK and the answer he gave me, I didn’t like it,” Soler said through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. “That’s why I went out there.”
The right-handed López held the baseball in his right hand as he used it to throw a punch at Soler’s batting helmet.
Players and coaches stormed out of the dugouts and bullpens, and Braves manager Walt Weiss tackled Soler, the 2021 World Series MVP with Atlanta.
“I love Soler. We were teammates here,” Weiss said. “But that’s a big man, and so I just felt I’ve gotta get him off his feet because he’s gonna hurt somebody. And so that was my instinct, just to get in there and get Jorge off his feet, yeah, because he was on a warpath.”
López and Soler were Braves teammates during the second half of the 2024 season.
“It’s just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,” López said through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. “On my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So, again, it’s just a shame.”
Atlanta, which led 4-2 when the game was interrupted by the brawl, went on to a 7-2 victory.
Soler’s two-run shot in the first made him 14 for 23 with five homers and three doubles against López.
“Obviously, I have good numbers against him,” Soler said. “After the home run and getting hit by a pitch after that, and then he missed way too high and close to my head. At this level, you can’t miss like that.”
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