Major League Baseball has issued 12 suspensions stemming from yesterday’s fight between the Angels and the Mariners. The league also handed out undisclosed fines. Nine of the disciplined individuals are from the Angels, while the Mariners lose a trio of players. The discipline is as follows:
Angels
- Interim coach Phil Nevin: Ten games
- Third baseman Anthony Rendon: Five games
- Assistant pitching coach Dom Chiti: Five games
- Right-hander Andrew Wantz: Three games
- Right-hander Ryan Tepera: two games
- Right-hander Raisel Iglesias: Two games
- Bench coach Ray Montgomery: Two games
- Performer Manny del Campo: Two games
- Catch Coach Bill Haselman: A Game
Mariners
The fight took place during the contest yesterday afternoon (video link). Wantz, who opened the game for the Halos, threw a shot behind Rodriguez in the first inning. This came after the Angels hid with an offer from Erik Swanson to Mike Trout the night before, and sparked warnings from the referee crew. However, Wantz hit Winker with the first pitch of the next inning. The Seattle left fielder initially looked like he was just taking first base, but ended up heading for the Angels dugout. This started a few minutes of fighting that eventually resulted in the expulsions of Wantz, Winker, Crawford, Rodriguez, Nevin, Tepera, Iglesias and Seattle coach Scott Servais.
Wantz’s suspension is for “intentionally throwing Winker while there were warnings,” according to MLB. Nevin has been suspended for Wantz’s releases, while everyone else involved was banned for his roles in the melee itself.
Players have the right to appeal for discipline on the field. MLB announced that Wantz has already waived his appeal and will begin serving his suspension today. The league did not indicate that any other player has done so, so they will remain on the list while their sanctions are heard. Rendon is on the injured list after undergoing end-of-season wrist surgery two weeks ago. His suspension will not take effect until he returns to the active roster, meaning he will likely miss the first five games of the 2023 season.
Coaches have no right to appeal their suspensions. Nevin, Chiti and del Campo will begin enforcing their bans tonight; Montgomery and Haselman will be out once Chiti returns in five games.
In particular, players suspended for violations of field rules may not be substituted on the active roster. Ryan Divish, of the Seattle Times, tweets that the Mariners will be allowed to step up any ban on their suspended players so that the group of position players is not determined at the same time; it is unclear if there will be a similar configuration for the Halos. bullpen, but both teams will play in the short term for a while once the appeal process is resolved. Although the Angels received far more suspensions in terms of quantity, Seattle will feel the greatest success in field production (assuming the suspensions are not overturned on appeal) with the rest of a regular trio of the alignment.