3:50pm: Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that MLB and López reach a settlement whereby his suspension is reduced to five games and he will start serving it immediately. It’s not clear if that includes today’s game, which started a few minutes after the suspension announcement.
Grant Holmes started for Atlanta today and the club is off tomorrow. On Friday, they start a series against the Guardians with Bryce Elder, Martín Pérez and Chris Sale scheduled to start. After that, they being a series against the Marlins. López’s turn in the rotation would have been the first game of that Miami series. Atlanta could instead go for Holmes on normal rest or turn to swingman José Suarez. They have Didier Fuentes and Víctor Mederos on optional assignment and could recall one of those two for a spot start.
3:00pm: Major League Baseball has announced that Angels outfielder Jorge Soler and Braves right-hander Reynaldo López have each been suspended for seven games and given undisclosed fines in relation to last night’s brawl. Both players are appealing and can continue to play until the appeals process has been completed.
López started last night’s contest for Atlanta. In the first inning, Soler launched a two-run home run off him. In the bottom of the third, Lopez hit Soler with a pitch. Soler came up again in the fifth and López threw a pitch up and in. The pitch didn’t hit Soler but he clearly took exception to it and stared López down for an extended period of time. The two exchanged words before Soler charged the mound and the two threw punches towards each other, as seen in this video from BravesVision. Both were ejected after that melee.
Players given suspensions for on-field infractions cannot be replaced on the roster. That means that the two clubs will have to play short-handed at some point. That will be on pause for now while the players are appealing.
Photo courtesy of William Navarro, Imagn Images
I wonder what they thought of each other when they played
They didn’t
Why the same number of games?
Lopez was just as much of an instigator as Soler, but Lopez hit Soler with a baseball. One missed one start and the other misses a week.
That’s insane. Screw the person that made this decision.
Ik you are a angels fans im a Braves fan but a pitcher doesn’t play 162 a hitter does so it is really about the position
@gobraves. 7 games for a pitcher would be close to 3 games for soler. I think he was talking about the games 7 days is one start. 7 days is 7 days for soler, and Lopez did start it. He waved him to charge the mound.
Lopez was the main instigator, first by drilling him and then by throwing over his head. If can’t Soler out, make better pitches. Don’t throw at people
Lopez had 2 strikes on Soler and was one out away from qualifying for the win. Yes, Lopez threw a ball up but it wasn’t as if it was under his chin. Even the announcers were saying that he didn’t have intent. Once Soler stared Lopez down, Lopez put his hands up and that’s what instigated it.
I’m a Yankees fan and this is BS. Ever since Hill took over administering discipline from Torre, the process has become a joke. This discipline clearly says that Soler is far more culpable than Lopez, when the opposite is clearly true.
Skyrider ignores that in three at bats in the game, Soler homered in the first (his fifth in 23 at bats aginst Lopez), Lopez hit him in the third and then threw high and tight on the first pitch in the fifth (there were not 2 strikes). The Atlanta announcers said there was no intent (of course they would), the Angels announcers didn’t.
Replays shows that Soler came to the mound only after Lopez calls him out.
Apparently Hill is unfamiliar with the fact that seven games for a hitter is far more severe a penalty than for a starting pitcher, who will miss only one game. Baseball has to do more to protect hitters from intentional HBPs. The initiation of universal DH eliminates a disincentive for pitchers to throw at batters. If the umpires and the league don’t protect them, they have little protection besides a physical altercation. This disciplinary ruling goes in exactly the wrong direction.
Keep crying!!!
Well said BronxLou
100% it was first pitch. I was watching it live. Had big number on over agaib like I do this afternoon
BL
“Apparently Hill is unfamiliar with the fact that seven games for a hitter is far more severe a penalty than for a starting pitcher, who will miss only one game. ”
Apparently you are unfamiliar with the fact that a batter bats around 4 times per game and a pitcher faces around 25 hitters per game.
Thus, a pitcher missing 1 game is roughly equal to a batter missing 7 games
What’s gets me is Lopez used a baseball as brass knuckles. Had Soler walked out there with a bat, my position would be reversed.
Soler hit a HR. Then was hit by a pitch…no accident. Then in a later AB, got a message pitch.
Lopez could have diffused the situation, but instead escalated it and then used a baseball as a weapon.
Giving them the same suspension is BS.
If the angels thought that soler was hit on purpose in the prior at bat than the angels pitcher should have hit a Braves player. That is how this game is played. Batters aren’t supposed to charge the mound like that.
Lopez still had his mitt and ball in hand as he was expecting to fight. Soler and the angels didn’t do this right
Halo11fan- That’s completely true. That’s a horrible decision. I’m pretty sure that the Players association and Solers agent are getting involved. that needs to be appealed.
So your fine with a batter Solers size charging the mound?? It happened so fast that Lopez didn’t even have time to take his mitt off. Soler and angels didn’t handle this the way the game been for decades.
Soler went after him; lucky that Lopez didn’t fire the ball into soler. Had Lopez stayed on the mound he won’t have been suspended. A player can’t come out at the pitcher like that. Players yell at each other all the time without the batter charging the mound
Learn your rules! You’d better learn your rules!
What rules, Lopez used the ball like brass knuckles. What rule covers that?
The no using the ball as brass knux rule.
Braves 2021 World Series MVP was wanting a piece of the Braves for being the Braves i guess?
Soler was 14-23 with 5 homers including one earlier in the game against Lopez. Then Lopez hit him in the wrist/hand followed by a ball up by his head the next AB. Lopez did all of this and should get a heavier suspension.
If the angels thought that the hit by pitch prior at bat was on purpose than the angels should have hit a Braves player. That’s the way the game has policed itself for decades. I don’t think Lopez was throwing at him in a 2 run game with a runner on. Plus Braves manager said he won’t allow his pitcher to through at guy like that
Neither player is missing 7 games. I imagine both suspensions to be reduced upon appeal
Lopez suspension is now five days…meaning, he doesn’t miss a start. That’s disgusting.
Free bro he ain’t do nun!
Starting pitchers should be suspended by the starts, not games. A position player who is suspended for 7 games misses 7 games. A starter suspended for 7 games misses one start. It isn’t the same punishment.
Walt Weiss should be suspended for that tackle too. He did more damage than slappy Lopez
Soler was just as slappy sir…Embarrassing if you gonna run up on a pitcher throw hands dude was praying and swinging just as much as Lopez.
I would suspend Soler too. 3 wrongs don’t make a right.
You’re actually making my point even more. The tackle was more dangerous than either one’s slapping. Coaches should know better than to be doing WWE moves to break up a girl fight and Walt’s own player was using the ball as a weapon multiple times throughout the game including during the fight.
Walt Weiss is a savage BJJ practitioner and wasn’t afraid to protect his player. Not charging the mound is the much safer venture.
Personally, I don’t think either player should be suspended, but I think every player or coach that left their position, bench or bullpen should be suspended for 10 games.
If Lopez has an issue with Soler and he uses the baseball as a weapon then Soler should have the right to kick that a$$.
How many pitchers would be throwing at guys if they didn’t have their teammates rushing in to defend them.
Hockey has the fighting rule figured out.
I bet you want them to haul out an UFC octagon ring onto the field as well. MLB isn’t the NHL.
CD
“every player or coach that left their position, bench or bullpen should be suspended ”
Agreed
Lopez should be banned from MLB (for the rest of the season, at minimum) for his blatantly violent actions. It’s time to take a stand against these headhunting cannibals. Soler was simply defending his pride and honor, and should be rewarded with American League Player Of The Month for April.
Lol
Did you see the play? It was nowhere near him. Missed by quite the distance, and the ball hit the backstop.
youtube.com/watch?v=Kg4M02JzKOg
Hilarious!
That’s too far for the both of them.
Braves are a classless organization top to bottom, from their name to their racist chop. Anything bad that can happen to them is fun and enjoyable
Weiss for NLMOY!!!!
This wouldnt have dragged out as long or maybe happened at all if pitchers still hit.
Intentional HBP have been part of the game since the shortstop played in shallow center. The DH didn’t create the opportunity or incentives; it’s always been there.
Slaps aren’t punches
Soler said F that n went deep and leading to a huge inning and giving those braves a well deserved beating today.
How can they treat an ex braves world champ like that ?
Posted that before the end of the inning, didn’t you?
The appeal should drop it to six days for Lopez and maybe 2 or 3 for Soler.
They announced on the radio broadcast that Lopez was reduced to 5 games.
Didier starts tonight’s game (Wed), so he could be ready for the next start — or could pull him and slot him in to the rotation and push someone back a GS. Murph is playing at AAA on Fri in rehab — so very soon…
The anti-Braves tears here are delicious.