Angels outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler has had his suspension reduced from seven games to four and he will begin serving that suspension tonight. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register was among those to relay the update.
The suspension stemmed from a brawl between the Angels and Atlanta last week. Soler homered off Atlanta starter Reynaldo López in the first inning. In the third inning, López hit Soler with a pitch. When Soler came up again in the fifth, a pitch from López sailed up and in. Though this one didn’t hit Soler, he clearly took exception to it. He stared at López for a while before charging at him, with the two throwing punches at each other.
Both players initially received seven-game suspension, with each player appealing. López quickly had his reduced to five games and started serving it. Thanks to an off-day on Thursday last week, that effectively amounted to one start getting pushed back slightly. Soler was also appealing and his status stayed up in the air for a week. It’s unclear if a hearing took place or if he reached a settlement. Either way, the result is that he will miss the next four games.
Teams are not allowed to replace players when they are suspended for on-field infractions. That means the Angels will have to play short-handed for the next four games. The Halos are in the Bronx today and tomorrow, then head home to host the Padres for three.
Soler has been the club’s designated hitter for most of their games so far this season. He has a strong .231/.342/.508 line, so it’s not good to be without him, but the one benefit is that they can rotate a few players through that spot to give them a lighter workload.
Photo courtesy of William Navarro, Imagn Images
He got less for charging the mound? Hahah
Yes, but Lopez got 5 and didn’t miss a start. So they penalized him being in the dugout on his off days cheering on his squad.
And Lopez hit Soler in the head with a baseball in his hand- should have had a much longer suspension!
Soler hit a HR, then Lopez intentionally hit him, then Lopez threw a message pitch, then said something to Soler after the message pitch, the tried to hit Soler in the face while holding a baseball as if he were holding a roll of nickels…..AND DIDN’T MISS a start.
I have no issue with suspending Soler, but the no-nothing suspension of Lopez is a complete joke.
More than a joke. An invitation for pitchers to throw at hitters they can’t get out. Soler is leading the AL in RBIs. The way to stop good players is to throw at them. Michael Hill is an idiot.
Lopez is an excellent pitcher with good command and a flame thrower for an arm. He did it intentionally.
@teamspirit There is no question it was intentional. Soler owns Lopez and hit a HR earlier. In my opinion, Lopez should have got 10 days for throwing multiple pitches at Soler and Soler 3 days.
I had the exact conclusion.
then Lopez threw a message pitch
—————
That’s what started it. Most players are okay with battling for their half of the plate. But you only get to send one message pitch.
Sure, Lopez started it. He should’ve gotten a lot more.
Do they give starting pitchers more since they have 4 built-in days off? I’m not sure why Soler got only 4 games when the pitcher got 5. Soler started the brawl and threw many haymakers that could have done a lot of damage if they connected.
Yeah, the idea with SP suspensions usually at least forces the to delay the start by a day or two. Soler misses four games with his suspension, whereas Lopez just has his start pushed back a day, despite being suspended for more games.
It is of note that MLB players are paid per season day, so Lopez is missing one more day of salary (he loses 5/180 of his salary, whereas Soler loses 4/180 of his). It’s hard to work out what’s most “fair” when it’s a hitter and a pitcher being disciplined for the same event.
Throwing at people also does damage…
Kind of hard to prove that was on purpose. Especially because the ball didn’t even hit him in that specific at bat
He hit him the previous at bat!
Lopez said to Soler in the moment that he should have hit him with that pitch. That is why he charged the mound.
JERED Weaver got suspended six games in the midst of a pennant race after sending a message pitch to Guillen for showboating after a HR.
Lopez got a five game suspension for much much more serious infractions. That what upsets me.
The Ball didn’t hit him but the proximity hurt Soler’s feelings. Why he charged the mound
4 games final answer Vanna. Yes. Are you ” For imprint certain”?
Words to the effect of “I should have hit you” from Lopez after throwing a pitch up around Soler’s chin is why Soler charged the mound.
The suspensions are still out of whack and have no logic behind them. Spin the Wheel again Vanna and that’s your final suspension time!
Pitcher suspensions should be starts not games. It would really have a lot of pitchers not throwing at someone in retaliation to one of his teammates getting hit. It’s difficult to tell sometimes what the intent was. At any time a pitcher with tremendous command could very easily not have his best stuff and it might run in on a batter it doesn’t mean it was on purpose. So if they suspend a SP 6 starts. They can be devastating to a team. Less teams will retaliate as well.
Yes but in reality, i think the most any starter would get is 2 starts n he would almost have to be a chronic ish stirrer
How do you account for the extra per-day pay that the pitchers lose? 6 starts is a whole months pay and that’s pretty extreme considering the precedent.
It would like be reduced like it almost always is.
But also if a months pay is at stake pitchers won’t retailiate
It’s suspicious when only one player on the team is hit, after player hit’s a home run, and then, the same player gets a ball thrown over his head.
Wasn’t over his head. He was also hit in a 2 strike count which would be strange sequencing from Lopez
He didn’t try to hit him, but it was a message pitch. He intentionally hit him earlier.
The pitch wasn’t over his head, but it was chin level. Then Lopez opened his mouth and said he should have hit him with that pitch high and tight.
I agree. The problem is the money lost while on suspension. So maybe pitchers lose as money for only as many games as the hitter that charged the mound is suspended, but they miss at least 2 starts.
They should also suspend and fine the umpire for not taking control of the game and the situation.
Had the umpire done his job properly, the fight may not have happened, or at least not to the degree that it escalated to.
Horrible job by the ump who then back pedaled out of the fracas faster than an NFL cornerback.
That thing took a long time to develop and the umpire just sat back and watched the show. Lopez should have been ejected or at least warned and the umpire should have gotten between the two.
Yes. Soler charged the mound, but to say he was the instigator is absurd. He hits a HR. The he gets hit. Then a message pitch is sent. Then Lopez pops off.. all that preceded Soler charging the mound.
And then Lopez tried to hit him in the face holding a baseball as if it were a roll of nickels.
And Lopez didn’t miss a start. Only the ignorant or a Braves fan could think Lopez punishment was appropriate
As opposed to omly the ignorant or an Angels fan – Homer much?
They should also suspend and fine the Astros. Just because
Thank you for being the first to note the obvious. After having hit him and then come up and in, the ump should’ve tossed Lopez and the manager. At that point, Soler is probably okay, Lopez gets suspended for a meaningless 2-3 days, and the manager gets a $5k fine.
The umps should be told that no pitcher gets two shots at the batter.
Yea! Oh well, back to the basement 🤣
It should have been increased for starting and losing a fight. 5 games each
Lopez, and other pitchers) should have been suspended for a couple of starts, not 5 team games. He drilled Soler and then told him that he should have hit him on the pitch up at his head that started the brawl.
Agreed. Lopez missed 5 game checks but he only hurts his team for 1 game.
Pitchers have too much leeway these days. They think they can bean guys and buzz the tower and won’t have any to deal with the fallout because they don’t stand in the batter’s box.
I do find it interesting that it took so long for the appeal to get run through and the suspension settled upon.
Everyone was like “why is Soler still playing, isn’t he suspended?”
Appeals are resolved in NYC.
So the Mets and Yankees play shorthanded teams.
Because they need charity.
The article mentions Soler having a strong slash line: .231/.342/.508. Although his OBP and power output are good, I laugh at a .231 as being even good. So he’s got power, but it’s only when he actually hits the ball…
Knew the league would have him miss the games against the Yankees. Surprised he was allowed to play in 2 and hit a bomb against them.
4 games seems fine compared to 5 for the guy who intentionally threw 95 MPH pitches at him. Glad he wasn’t hurt when drilled with the fastball or buzzed up and in.
He has been on fire since that night.
People who say Soler started the brawl are ignorant beyond belief.
100%. Hitting a guy with a mid 90s fastball is the same as throwing a punch. Actually, I’d rather get hit with most punches. Lopez then threw the equivalent of a second punch at Soler’s head.
While holding a baseball!!! Only people who have never been in a fight, or have very small hands, think that’s irrelevant.
I’ve been in fights and my hands are not small. Not irrelevant.
Same. Can’t say I’d want a baseball in my hands while throwing, though. Seems like a good way to break finger or three.
What I meant was the fastball up an in was the equivalent of a second punch although it did not land.
You absolutely do. It hurts a lot less than hitting someone with your fist. Grab a baseball, hit something with the baseball in your hand, then hit it with your bare hand with the same power.
One will hurt a lot, the other…not so much.
Halos fans dispensing justice- heh
Here’s the part MLB keeps pretending not to understand:
When a hitter goes deep…
and the very next time the batter comes up he gets drilled…
that’s intent.
Everyone in the stadium knows it. The only people who act confused MLB handing out suspensions.
And the result is always the same:
The pitcher throws at a guy, the hitter reacts, and the hitter gets tossed.
How does that make sense?
How does the guy who hit a home run become the villain?
Who is the real villain?
Exactly. Pitchers who do that should be tossed immediately.
If MLB actually cares about the safety of players that would be the rule.
Pretty much every baseball skirmish starts with “he hit a home run then the pitcher drilled him.”
Don’t charge the mound. Full stop. Then only the pitcher would get penalized. Easy peasy. Charge the mound: automatic suspension
The point is the pitchers don’t get penalized for pitches like that. The benches may get warned, but typically nothing happens until there is a brawl. Solution? Don’t throw “intent” pitches. Full Stop. Easy Peasy. Throw an intent pitch whether it hits the batter or not and it’s an automatic and immediate ejection and suspension.
No pitcher should be allowed to hit a batter or attempt to hit a batter on purpose. If you hit your neighbor with a baseball in your front yard, especially in the head like the pitch Lopez threw, you would be arrested for aggravated assault or assault with a deadly weapon depending on the jurisdiction.