San Diego Padres closer Robert Suarez was given a three-game suspension and fined an undisclosed amount on Friday after intentionally hitting Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers during their National League West rivalry game at Dodger Stadium. Suarez denied intentionally trying to get into trouble, stating he was just attempting to save the game.
Padres manager Mike Shildt and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also received one-game suspensions and undisclosed fines for their roles in the heated argument that led to their ejections. The altercation occurred when Shildt believed Dodgers reliever Jack Little intentionally hit Fernando Tatís Jr. with a pitch, sparking a bench-clearing incident.
Suarez will appeal the suspension, allowing him to play against Kansas City on Friday night. However, he did not pitch in the Padres’ 6-5 loss to the Dodgers. The teams have a long history of bad-tempered rivalries, and this latest incident added to the tension between them.
Despite Suarez’s denial, Ohtani was visibly shaken after being hit by Suarez’s pitch on Thursday night, which put the tying run on base during the Dodgers’ three-run rally. However, Ohtani remained calm and even engaged in some light banter with his teammates before walking to the Padres’ dugout. The incident has sparked controversy, but it seems that tensions are already beginning to ease.
Source: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/45553631/mlb-suspends-padres-suarez-shildt-dodgers-roberts