Willson Contreras and Cade Cavalli are facing penalties following a recent incident.
Both will be suspended for seven games due to their involvement in a benches-clearing altercation during Washington’s 10-2 victory over Boston earlier this week, as announced by MLB on Thursday.
Additionally, both players will incur undisclosed fines as part of the disciplinary actions.
During the bottom of the fourth inning on Tuesday, Cavalli struck out Contreras on a 3-2 pitch, which at first seemed like a routine play.
However, things escalated quickly when Cavalli shouted, “Sit down, kid!” This provoked a response from Contreras: “Are you talking to me?”
Contreras moved towards Cavalli, prompting both benches to clear. As players began to push and shove, Contreras attempted to throw his helmet at Cavalli, but teammates soon intervened and the situation calmed down.
Cavalli wasn’t ejected from the game, but Contreras was, alongside Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton, Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas, and Boston’s interim manager Chad Tracy.
Mikolas has received a five-game suspension, while Eaton will serve three games.
On Wednesday, Cavalli expressed regret for his choice of words, specifically “boy,” acknowledging its problematic history in the U.S. He stated, “I’m very upset about how things were perceived. There was no malice intended. My teammates, family, and the organization know my character. I lost sleep over this.”
Contreras also voiced his concerns about the incident. He explained, “He struck me out with a good pitch. As I walked back, he reacted provocatively, which made me lose my temper.”
Interestingly, Contreras has now become the first player in Red Sox history to be ejected in back-to-back games, having been tossed on both Monday and Tuesday. His Monday ejection was for slamming his helmet in protest against a call he couldn’t challenge.
