New York Mets reliever Yohan Ramirez has been suspended for three games and fined an undisclosed amount for intentionally throwing at Milwaukee Brewers first baseman during Saturday’s game, MLB announced Sunday.
Mets manager Carolos Medoza also received a one-game suspension and fine as a result.
Ramirez has elected to appeal the suspension, so discipline will not occur until the appeal process is finished.
Mendoza will serve his suspension during Sunday’s game, meaning that Mets bench coach and former Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons will serve as New York’s manager for the final game of the series against Milwaukee.
In Friday’s Opening Day game between the two teams, Hoskins slid hard into Mets second baseman Jeff McNeill.
McNeil was visibly angry after the play, gesturing and yelling down at Hoskins as the Milwaukee slugger was on the ground. Hoskins got up and headed for the Brewers’ dugout, but both benches and bullpens spilled onto the field.
Hoskins said he kept his cleats down on the slide and he thought McNeil overreacted.
“I’m just trying to play baseball, right?” Hoskins said. “The last thing I want to do is give them a clear lane to make a double play. So, a certain someone took — McNeil took (exception) to my slide, but I didn’t really think much of it, to be honest. I ended up hitting him, but that’s what happens with a slow-developing play.”
The teams stayed separated and there was no pushing and shoving, though Hoskins rubbed his eyes as if to call McNeil a crybaby, and McNeil cursed at Hoskins from across the diamond.
In Saturday’s game, Hoskins hit a two-run single in a three-run first inning, followed with a two-run homer in the third and singled and scored on a balk in the fifth by Luis Severino, before his at-bat against Ramirez.
Ramírez’s first pitch to Hoskins in the seventh sailed well behind the right-handed hitter, who dropped his bat and glared at Ramírez as the reliever raced to pick up the ball, which caromed off the backstop. Ramírez was ejected by plate umpire Lance Barrett and given a standing ovation by fans.
— With files from The Associated Press
