NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Los Angeles Angels slugger Jorge Soler began serving a four-game suspension Wednesday night against the New York Yankees after his penalty for with Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo L贸pez was reduced.
Hours earlier, Soler’s punishment was cut by three games in an agreement between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association.
鈥淥bviously, Jorgie鈥檚 been swinging the bat really hot now, so it鈥檚 unfortunate that we have to miss him for four games,鈥� Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said at Yankee Stadium. 鈥淏ut, you know, it is what it is and we have to deal with it. And we definitely will be waiting for him to come back.鈥�
Both players were initially last week after they got into a brawl on the field and were ejected from a game between the Braves and Angels in Anaheim, California.
Each player appealed, and an agreement was quickly reached between MLB and the MLBPA that trimmed L贸pez鈥檚 ban to five games. That penalty took effect immediately, and L贸pez was able to make his scheduled next start Tuesday against Miami thanks to an off day in Atlanta’s schedule.
Soler is batting .231 with five homers, 18 RBIs and an .849 OPS. He went deep Tuesday night, the last of three straight solo homers by the Angels in the first inning of
The 34-year-old Soler had started all 18 games for the Angels this season 鈥� 15 at designated hitter and three in right field.
Third baseman Yo谩n Moncada was the DH on Wednesday night, with Oswald Peraza at the hot corner. Right fielder Jo Adell moved into Soler’s cleanup spot in the lineup, and the Angels were forced by rule to play a man short on the bench.
鈥淚 just try to tell 鈥檈m wherever they are in the lineup, just be themselves,鈥� Suzuki said. 鈥淚 think sometimes you can tend to overdo things if you鈥檙e in that spot or mentality, but I think Jo鈥檚 at a place now where he鈥檚 comfortable with what he鈥檚 doing. He knows what he has to do. He knows just being himself is plenty.鈥�
Soler homered off L贸pez in the first inning April 7, then was hit by a 96 mph fastball from the right-hander his next time up. 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.
At first, L贸pez held up his hands as 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 that night through an interpreter, according to MLB.com. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I went out there.鈥�
The benches and bullpens emptied as players from both teams tried to separate the two. Atlanta manager Walt Weiss was among those who tackled Soler, the 2021 World Series MVP with the Braves.
L贸pez was still holding the baseball when he landed a punch on Soler鈥檚 batting helmet. The two were teammates in Atlanta during the second half of the 2024 season, and L贸pez said through an interpreter there was 鈥渘ever any intent鈥� to plunk Soler.
Atlanta led 4-2 when the fight occurred and went on to
Soler鈥檚 two-run shot in the first inning made him 14 for 23 with five homers and three doubles against L贸pez.
___
AP MLB:
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
