Los Angeles Angels outfielder/designated hitter Jorge Soler has been suspended seven games and fined an undisclosed amount and Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez agreed to a reduced five-game suspension and fine due to the fight that led to their ejections in the fifth inning of Tuesday night’s 7-2 Atlanta win in Anaheim, Calif.
Major League Baseball initially suspended Lopez for seven games, via its announcement on Wednesday, before the discipline was later reduced to five.
Soler’s suspension was scheduled to begin with Wednesday’s series finale but he appealed, meaning it will be paused until the appeal is resolved.
Soler, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning and was struck by a pitch on his left hand in the third, took exception to a high and inside fifth-inning fastball that glanced off the glove of catcher Jonah Heim and bounced to the backstop, enabling Nolan Schanuel, who had walked, to advance to second.
Soler stared at Lopez for several seconds before jogging to the mound. Both players then squared up and began throwing punches, none of which appeared to land squarely, as players from both teams rushed in. Lopez fended Soler off with his glove and threw punches with his right hand, which still held the baseball.
Braves manager Walt Weiss ended up tackling Soler on the first base line to help break up the fracas.
Lopez was nearing the end of his outing, at 80 pitches and 4 2/3 innings over which the right-hander struck out seven and allowed two unearned runs on three hits and two walks.
Soler was the 2021 World Series MVP for the Braves and is now on his third different team since that brief stint, plus a return to Atlanta in 2024.
