Fight fallout: Rodriguez to DL, Hundley fined, Puig suspended
The skirmish in Dodger Stadium on Tuesday night will not cost catcher Nick Hundley any games, but the Giants will pay a higher price.
The club announced Thursday that Rookie of the Year candidate Dereck Rodriguez sustained a Grade 1 strain of his right hamstring during the altercation and was placed on the 10-day disabled list.
Casey Kelly will start in Rodriguez’s place in Friday night’s series opener at Cincinnati. A corresponding roster move will be announced before the game.
Rodriguez has been among the Giants’ best stories this season. Signed as a minorleague free agent over the winter, the 26-year-old has compiled a 6-1 record and 2.25 ERA in 14 games, including 12 starts.
It was not immediately known how long he will be out. Grade 1 is the mildest strain.
Rodriguez was among the first on the field when benches cleared as Hundley sparred with Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig during the seventh inning of the Giants’ 2-1 victory.
Earlier Thursday, the commissioner’s office suspended Puig two games and fined him for his role in in the skirmish.
Hundley was fined but not suspended. The amounts were not disclosed.
Puig’s suspension begins Friday in Seattle unless he appeals.
Both players were ejected after a jawing match that Hundley started turned into a shoving match, which Puig started with two jabs at Hundley near the plate.
As the benches emptied, Hundley was restrained by L.A. coach George Lombard. With Hundley’s hands tied, Puig took one more slap at the catcher’s mask.
The argument began when Hundley hollered at Puig for stepping out of the box and reacting angrily to fouling a Tony Watson pitch that Puig thought he should have driven.
The Giants argued for a Puig suspension and believed Hundley should avoid one because he did not lift a hand toward Puig other than a defensive swipe. Baseball disciplinarian Joe Torre agreed.
Though the league frowns upon any sparring, it generally does not suspend players for shouting at one another. When it gets physical, the level of punishment rises. Thus, Puig was suspended and Hundley was not.