Blue Jays’ Stroman suspended six games
Posted Sep 17, 2014 04:08:54 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Marcus Stroman received a six-game suspension and an undisclosed fine from MLB for intentionally throwing a pitch in the head area of Baltimore Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph Monday.
The Toronto Blue Jays right-hander will appeal the suspension, which had been scheduled to begin Wednesday, when the Blue Jays and Orioles wrap up their series in Baltimore.
The incident occurred after Joseph accidentally stepped on the hand of Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes in a play at the plate. Reyes was clearly frustrated after the play, and soon afterwards Stroman threw up and in to Joseph.
Orioles manager Buck Showalter believed the pitch was “intentional” and called it “borderline professionally embarrassing.”
After speaking with manager John Gibbons, a contrite Stroman told Toronto media Tuesday that he intended to reach out to Joseph following the incident.
“That was not my intention at all. I’ll apologize to him if I do have the opportunity to talk to him and say, ‘It just got out of hand quickly.’ It sucks, just hearing all this stuff. I’m trying to stay away from it, but it bothers me a lot. It kind of gets to me.
Baseball etiquette allows for pitchers to hit opposing players as retribution, but pitches up and in violate the sport’s unwritten rules.
Stroman, 23, has a 3.80 ERA with 100 strikeouts and 28 walks in 120.2 innings this year.
