MLB Suspends Four Players Following Nationals and Red Sox Brawl

Major League Baseball issued suspensions on Thursday following a brawl between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The incident on Tuesday night resulted in four players receiving penalties.

Boston’s first baseman Willson Contreras and Washington’s starting pitcher Cade Cavalli each received seven-game suspensions and undisclosed fines for their involvement in the altercation. The clash occurred in the fourth inning of Washington’s 8-1 victory when Cavalli struck out Contreras on a full-count pitch and taunted him, prompting Contreras to react aggressively.

The confrontation began when Cavalli shouted “Sit down, boy,” at Contreras. In response, Contreras charged the mound and threw his helmet towards Cavalli, resulting in both teams’ benches and bullpens clearing.

Two additional players were punished for leaving the dugout and participating in a separate scuffle. Nationals right-hander Miles Mikolas received a five-game suspension, while Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton was handed a three-game ban. Both players were fined undisclosed amounts and ejected during the game.

All suspensions are set to start on Friday. The Red Sox will begin a series in Anaheim, while the Nationals face the Pittsburgh Pirates. Boston appears to face a greater immediate impact since Contreras will miss a full week of games. Cavalli and Mikolas are expected to miss one rotation turn.

Cavalli apologized Wednesday for his remarks, acknowledging the historical meaning of his words and the negative example it set for young fans. Nationals management also addressed the situation with Cavalli.

Leading up to Tuesday’s game, Contreras experienced an emotional period, having been ejected the previous night for disputing a call. He also talked about his stress from earthquakes in his home country of Venezuela.