Aug 25, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Willson Contreras (40) is held back by manager Oliver Marmol (37) after he was ejected by umpire Derek Thomas (not pictured) during the seventh inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Cardinals' Willson Contreras Handed Hefty Suspension After Fiery Ejection

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 7:01 PM ET

On Monday night, St. Louis Cardinals slugger Willson Contreras was ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes while allegedly using vulgar language to do so. After being ejected, Contreras blew up and charged after the umpire, bumping him in the process.

The Cardinals slugger would also throw his helmet, bat, and a bucket of Hi-Chews onto the field before he was finally taken away from the game.

Shortly after, fans speculated a potential suspension, and J.T. Buchheit of Redbird Rants bashed Contreras for the horrendous behavior on the field.

"During his tenure in St. Louis, Contreras hasn't been afraid to take the Cardinals to task when needed: He's spoken out against the front office and called for support from his teammates after he was hit by several pitches," Buchheit wrote. "It's easy to love Contreras given his fiery passion for the game and for his team, but this was a bridge too far for him. The fact that he chucked a bat behind him that struck hitting coach Brant Brown was unacceptable, and fans shouldn't be surprised if Contreras earns a multiple-game suspension.

"A 2024 article from Cubbies Crib hypothesized that part of the reason the Chicago Cubs decided to move on from Contreras following the 2022 season was his frequent outbursts in the clubhouse. If Contreras becomes a problem in the dugout, the Cardinals may become desperate to offload his contract in any way possible. However, Contreras' no-trade clause will make that challenging."

A day after the ejection, Contreras was handed his punishment.

Willson Contreras suspended, fined after explosive ejection

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The league has suspended the Cardinals star for six games and hit him with a hefty fine for the ejection and resulting outburst.

While the bump to the umpire seems to be an overlooked part of this incident, it's likely what led the way to suspend and fine Contreras. Pair that with the fact that he's a repeat offender who is often fiery on the field, with the umpires, and toward the other team, and it was clear that he would receive some sort of punishment.

The Cardinals need to move on from Contreras in the offseason. There's no place for behavior like this in St. Louis. In reality, there's no place for behavior like that anywhere in the league, but the Cardinals need to cut ties with the slugger in order to improve their culture and team morale.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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