Wilson Contreras received a six-game suspension on Monday after a heated outburst following a called strike that got him ejected during a game against the Pirates.
Additionally, Major League Baseball imposed a fine on him for the incident.
The suspension was set to kick off on Tuesday night when the Cardinals faced the Pirates again, but Contreras is appealing the decision, which means the enforcement will be on hold until the appeal process is completed.
During the game, a chaotic scene unfolded as Contreras clashed with the home plate umpire. Team manager Oliver Marmol and other Cardinals staff members had to intervene to calm him down.
In a fit of anger, Contreras smashed his helmet into the ground and flung bats toward the home plate, inadvertently hitting coach Blunt Brown while he was escorted off the field by bench coach Daniel Descalso.
Things escalated further when he tossed a bucket of gum into the Cardinals’ dugout and onto the field, intensifying the spectacle.
After the game, crew chief Jordan Baker commented that both Contreras and Marmol had made “vulgar” remarks, asserting that Contreras had some sort of contact with the umpire regarding the call.
Contreras later expressed regret for inadvertently striking Brown with a bat, stating to reporters, “I apologized to him. I wasn’t looking back; I just put the bat down. That definitely wasn’t intentional.”
However, he defended himself regarding the accusations of making inappropriate comments to the umpire, insisting, “I turned around and he kicked me out for no reason. Apparently, he heard something I didn’t say.”
