After Friday’s Game 5 victory over the Texas Rangers, Houston Astros reliever Bryan Abreu has been suspended for two games by Major League Baseball for intentionally throwing at outfielder Adolis García. Here are the key details:
- The suspension is effective immediately, but Abreu has the option to appeal.
- During the bottom of the eighth inning, Abreu hit García with a pitch while the Rangers were leading 4-2, resulting in a benches-clearing scuffle.
- Following discussions between the umpires, Abreu, García, and Houston manager Dusty Baker were ejected.
- The Astros are currently leading the Rangers 3-2 in the American League Championship Series, with the next game scheduled for Sunday, Game 6.
- Lance McCullers Jr. of the Astros and Matt Bush of the Rangers were both given undisclosed fines and prohibited from sitting on their team’s bench for the remainder of the American League Championship Series due to their involvement in the incident. Although neither pitcher is currently active, they were fined for their roles in the altercation, according to the league.
Other Key Information
Following Friday’s game, every Astro, including Abreu himself, denied any intentions of intentionally throwing at García. However, the six umpires present during the game disagreed. MLB cited the umpires’ determination in the news release announcing Abreu’s suspension, emphasizing the dangerous nature of the pitch and its potential impact on player safety.
Abreu struck García in the shoulder with a 98.3 mph fastball on the first pitch. Both Abreu and Baker claimed that their intention was to pitch García up and in, but catcher Martín Maldonado stated that the pitch was meant to be thrown away. It is worth noting that Abreu hit only three batters out of the 287 he faced during the regular season. – Chandler Rome, Astros staff writer
Were there any surprises?
MLB’s decision is not surprising, despite the unfortunate timing for the Astros. The severity of the situation demanded attention, and as pitcher Justin Verlander mentioned after the game, “I understand Major League Baseball and is trying to take away the hit by pitch, and pitchers and teams policing the game the way it used to be done. I understand that. It’s dangerous.”
A pitch thrown at nearly 99 mph above the waist on the first attempt was something that the league could not overlook, especially after six umpires collectively determined it was intentional. – Rome
Will Abreu appeal the suspension?
It remains unclear whether Abreu will appeal the suspension, but it is highly likely that he will. If he chooses to do so, the suspension will be put on hold until the appeal is heard, allowing Abreu to continue playing in the postseason. According to MLB’s collective bargaining agreement, all appeals during the postseason must be resolved within 48 hours. Therefore, if Abreu’s suspension is upheld, he could serve it while the Astros are still competing in the playoffs.
Losing Abreu would be a significant setback for Houston’s bullpen. He finished the regular season with a remarkable 1.75 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 72 innings. Additionally, Abreu has struck out 11 of the 25 batters he has faced in this postseason. – Rome
Reactions from individuals involved
Rangers catcher Jonah Heim commented that Abreu’s pitch seemed intentional and “looked bad.”
“That’s all I can really say,” said Heim. “We don’t know if it’s intentional or not. But it wasn’t the best look.”
Rangers first baseman Nathaniel Lowe added, “Wearing this jersey, having Adolis be my teammate, it feels pretty intentional. There’s a history, obviously, between these two teams… In today’s game, we throw fastballs up. If you want to get emotional about something like that and take it out on a guy that hit a three-run homer, that’s too bad. I don’t really stand for it.”
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(Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
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