MLB suspends 12 players, coaches for roles in Seattle Mariners-Los Angeles Angels brawl; Phil Nevin gets 10 games
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Los Angeles Angels interim manager Phil Nevin was suspended 10 games and Seattle Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker received a seven-game ban from Major League Baseball for their roles in a benches-clearing brawl during the second inning of Sunday's game.
Nevin and Winker were two of 12 players or coaches suspended between the teams, according to an MLB release Monday night.
Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford received five games, Angels pitchers Ryan Tepera and Andrew Wantz were suspended for three and Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, Angels reliever Raisel Iglesias and major league interpreter Manny Del Campo received two games.
Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon, who is out for the rest of the season after undergoing wrist surgery, will be suspended five games when he returns from the injured list. For now, he is prohibited from sitting on the bench for the next seven games.
Nevin received a significant suspension for Angels opener Wantz intentionally throwing at Winker while warnings were in place for both teams. Nevin made the late decision to pitch Wantz instead of scheduled starter Jose Suarez.
Nevin's suspension began Monday night as the Angels opened a home series against the Chicago White Sox. Bench coach Ray Montgomery, who received a two-game suspension, managed in Nevin's place as the Angels beat the White Sox 4-3.
"I would like to say it's just like being in that position when I'm standing there with Phil or anyone else -- but it's not obviously,'' Montgomery said. "People are looking to you to be prepared. You have a responsibility to those guys (the players) and want to make sure that they have what they need.''
Montgomery and catching coach Bill Haselman (one game) will begin serving their suspensions after assistant pitching coach Dom Chiti returns from his five-game ban that began Monday. .
The punishments were announced within 90 minutes of Los Angeles' and Seattle's games Monday night. All three Mariners players appealed and were in the lineup for Seattle's 9-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.
Winker was hit by the first pitch of the second inning by Wantz, who also had thrown a pitch behind Rodriguez's head during in the first inning. Wantz, suspended for three games, is the only player not appealing and began his suspension Monday, as did the Angels' Del Campo.
The pitch to Rodriguez appeared to be the Angels' response to Erik Swanson's 95 mph fastball near Mike Trout's head during the ninth inning Saturday night. Trout voiced his frustration about the pitch following that game.
Winker reacted to getting hit by Wantz, angrily yelling and gesturing toward the Angels' dugout. That resulted in both benches and bullpens emptying near Los Angeles' dugout on the third-base side. The brawl lasted nearly four minutes, with both teams appearing to throw multiple punches.
The game was delayed for 18 minutes. Of the eight who were ejected, Seattle manager Scott Servais is the only one who wasn't suspended.
Before the bans were announced, Nevin disputed that he used Wantz to throw at Seattle's players.
"That's not factual. But I don't want to get into a war of words with that," Nevin said. "What's done is done. Yesterday's over and done with. We're focused on the White Sox today.''
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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