Sal Stewart Was Right, MLB Takes Hard Stance on Chris Devenski-Reds Incident

May 2, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Home plate umpire Willie Traynow keeps Cincinnati Reds second baseman Sal Stewart (27) away from Pittsburgh Pirates cvatcher Henry Davis after he was nearly hit by the ball during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

Sal Stewart Was Right, MLB Takes Hard Stance on Chris Devenski-Reds Incident

Originally posted on Cincinnati Reds on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated May 5, 2026 1:24 PM ET

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Over the weekend, the Cincinnati Reds were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the series didn't end without some drama.

During the second game of the series, the Pirates led the Reds by nine runs in the seventh inning. Sal Stewart called time after Chris Devenski tried to quick pitch him, and Devenski seemed to take exception, throwing the next pitch at Stewart. Stewart was adamant that it was intentional, and the umpires opted to eject Devenski from the game.

The Pirates and their fans argued that this wasn't intentional, but it seemed pretty clear that it was. The umpires believed so. On Tuesday, the MLB backed the umpires up by fining Devenski and suspending him for three games, per MLB insider Bob Nightengale.

"Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Chris Devenski receives three-game suspension and is fined for throwing at Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday and manager Don Kelly is suspended one game and will miss tonight’s game vs. Arizona," Nightengale wrote in a post to X on Tuesday.

Shortly after the initial suspension, MLB reduced it to 2 games.

"Devenski’s suspension has now been reduced to 2 games beginning tonight vs Diamondbacks," Nightengale wrote in a post to X shortly after the initial suspension.

Chris Devenski's Suspension Shows Sal Stewart Was Right

This suspension shows that Stewart was right. Devenski didn't try to argue much during the game. Rather than causing a scene after being ejected, he seemed to accept his fate, which seems to show that it was his intention to drill the Reds rookie.

Stewart was asked if any words were exchanged between him and Devenski before the altercation and he took a fairly hard stance on the situation.

"No, no one said anything," Stewart said after the game. "I mean, the umpires did. It was pretty blatantly obvious. So I'm glad the umpires took care of it. But I mean, I really have no idea."

Stewart was hammered fairly hard by the Pirates media. They seemed to think that the incident was blown out of proportion by the Reds' rookie, but it seems fairly clear that the incident was intentional. The umpires in the game believed it. The league believes it. Stewart was right.

This article first appeared on Cincinnati Reds on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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