Major League Baseball has decided Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado's action were only half as bad as Rougned Odor's. Yordano Ventura's actions, on the other hand, were slightly worse.
Machado has received a four-game suspension and a $2,500 fine for punching Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura after being hit with a pitch, MLB announced. Ventura received a nine-game suspension, and an undisclosed fine, for his actions during the fight. Both players will appeal their punishments. Because of that, they will both be eligible to play until MLB makes a ruling on their appeals.
While a $2,500 fine is hardly anything for a professional baseball player, Machado won't have to worry about paying it. Teammate Adam Jones already said he'll pick up any fine Machado receives for the fight.
Jones is far from the only MLB player throwing his support behind Machado. Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon and first baseman Anthony Rizzo didn't exactly condemn Machado's actions, and former reliever LaTroy Hawkins expressed his displeasure with the way Ventura handled the situation.
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During his four seasons in the majors, Ventura has developed a knack for starting brawls. He's nearly mixed it up with both Brett Lawrie and Mike Trout in recent years, but cooler heads prevailed in those instances.
That wasn't the case this time around, which is why Machado and Ventura were hit with suspensions. You can't intentionally throw at hitters because you are mad at them, and you can't punch a player in the face and DDT him on the mound and expect to escape unscathed.
With that said, given Ventura's reputation, it wouldn't be a surprise to see players around the league celebrating again when Machado's punishment inevitably gets reduced during the appeal process.
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