Major League Baseball’s decision to suspend Houston Astros relief pitcher Bryan Abreu for what happened in Game 5 of the ALCS has proven unsurprisingly controversial. That is demonstrated by the strong reaction within the organization to the decision.
Many within the Astros organization are “seething” over the league’s handling of Abreu’s situation, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Astros are adamant that Abreu did not intentionally throw at Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia, citing the game situation at the time the incident happened. Houston was trailing by two runs in the 8th inning of a key playoff game, and putting another runner on for any reason would make little sense.
The anger runs deeper than that, too. Some players have questioned why Garcia was not suspended for instigating the incident and making contact with Astros catcher Martin Maldonado. Some within the Houston organization even believe the suspension is a case of the league showing favoritism toward Rangers GM Chris Young, who served as a senior vice president for MLB from 2018 to 2020.
Abreu, a key part of Houston’s bullpen, received a two-game suspension from the league after MLB deemed his pitch to be intentional. Astros fans quickly rallied to his cause, and he has appealed the suspension, but if it is not overturned, he will be out for Monday’s Game 7.
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