ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) 鈥� Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler and Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo L贸pez each received seven-game suspensions from Major League Baseball on Wednesday, a day after they were ejected following their .
Michael Hill, MLB鈥檚 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 L贸pez’s suspension reduced to five games, effective immediately. With an off day, L贸pez 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 L贸pez in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game. In his next at-bat, Soler was hit by a 96 mph fastball from L贸pez. In the fifth, Soler charged the mound after L贸pez threw a high-and-inside wild pitch that tipped off catcher Jonah Heim鈥檚 mitt.
As Soler began walking toward the mound, L贸pez held up his hands and the two glared at each other before both started throwing punches.
鈥淚 asked him if everything was OK and the answer he gave me, I didn鈥檛 like it,鈥� Soler said through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I went out there.鈥�
The right-handed L贸pez 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.
鈥淚 love Soler. We were teammates here,鈥� Weiss said. 鈥淏ut that鈥檚 a big man, and so I just felt I鈥檝e gotta get him off his feet because he鈥檚 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.鈥�
L贸pez and Soler were Braves teammates during the second half of the 2024 season.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,鈥� L贸pez said through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. 鈥淥n my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So, again, it鈥檚 just a shame.鈥�
Atlanta, which led 4-2 when the game was interrupted by the brawl, went on to
Soler鈥檚 two-run shot in the first made him 14 for 23 with five homers and three doubles against L贸pez.
鈥淥bviously, I have good numbers against him,鈥� Soler said. 鈥淎fter 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鈥檛 miss like that.鈥�
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