Major League Baseball announced this afternoon that Cubs right-hander Keegan Thompson has been suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount “for intentionally hitting Andrew McCutchen … with a pitch during the top of the eighth inning of Saturday afternoon’s game at Wrigley Field.”
Chicago manager David Ross has also been suspended one game and fined for Thompson’s actions, as is customary. Ross will serve his ban tomorrow afternoon and miss Chicago’s upcoming game with the Pirates. Thompson’s suspension is set to go into effect tomorrow as well, but unlike Ross, he has the right to appeal.
The Cubs and Brewers traded hit batsmen on Thursday. Milwaukee pitching hit three Cubs players during the early stages of Saturday’s contest. After Milwaukee’s Trevor Gott hit Ian Happ, Thompson faced McCutchen with no one on base in a 9-0 game. His 1-1 offering was well inside and went to the backstop; on the next pitch, Thompson plunked the veteran outfielder. The benches cleared, although there was little more than barbs traded on each side. Home plate umpire Lance Barksdale ejected Thompson.
In the following inning, Cubs righty Ethan Roberts hit Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich. That pitch was a 1-2 slider that clipped the left-handed hitter in the back foot, though, and Roberts remained in the game to record the final three outs.
