Mike Wright and Tony La Russa were suspended on Saturday for an incident on Thursday during which Shohei Ohtani was hit by a pitch.
Ohtani was batting in the ninth inning of his Los Angeles Angels’ 9-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. Wright missed badly on a few offerings, including one pitch near Ohtani, before plunking the Angels slugger in the leg.
The umpires may have felt that Ohtani was hit intentionally, possibly as retaliation for Luis Robert and Jose Abreu being hit by the Angels. La Russa said it was just a mistake by Wright, who was wild.
MLB didn’t seem to buy it. It handed Wright a three-game suspension and La Russa a one-game suspension. Wright is appealing.
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