Odor draws 8-game suspension for punching Bautista
NEW YORK — Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor was suspended for eight games and fined $5,000 by Major League Baseball on Tuesday for punching Toronto’s Jose Bautista on the jaw.
MLB disciplined 14 people for their roles during Sunday’s brawl at Arlington.
Blue Jays pitcher Jesse Chavez was suspended three games for hitting Prince Fielder with a pitch. Manager John Gibbons, who returned to the field for the fight following his ejection five innings earlier, was penalized three games for inciting additional fighting.
Bautista, who made a hard takeout slide on Odor, was suspended for one game by MLB senior vice president Joe Garagiola Jr. for his actions and postgame comments.
Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus was suspended for one game for aggressive actions, and Blue Jays first-base coach Tim Leiper for one game for returning to the dugout following his ejection.
Odor and Bautista appealed their discipline, which will be held in abeyance pending a resolution. That means Odor might still be playing when the Rangers visit the Astros for a threegame series at Minute Maid Park this weekend.
Texas pitchers Matt Bush (intentionally throwing at Bautista), Sam Dyson (aggressive actions) and A.J. Griffin (being on the field while on the disabled list) were fined along with catcher Robinson Chirinos (being on the field while on the DL) and bench coach Steve Buechele (aggressive actions).
Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson was fined for aggressive actions, along with outfielder Kevin Pillar. Bench coach DeMarlo Hale, who was acting manager following Gibbons’ ejection, was fined for Chavez’s intentional actions after teams had been warned by umpires.
Tension had been brewing from Oct. 14, when Bautista hit a tiebreaking three-run homer against Dyson in the seventh inning of Game 5 of the AL Division Series at Rogers Centre, admired the ball for a couple seconds until it glanced off the front of the second deck in left, then flipped his bat dramatically.