by Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Edwin Uceta was suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount Wednesday for intentionally throwing at Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos, Major League Baseball announced Wednesday.
The Phillies had scored five runs on five hits in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game when Uceta hit Castellanos in the hip. Both benches cleared and Phillies star Bryce Harper faced the Rays before the incident ended without any real fight.
Uceta, who claimed the pitch was a change-up that “got away” from him, was ejected and the Phillies took a clear 9-4 victory.
He can appeal the ban, but Castellanos is sure that Uceta acted against him out of frustration.
“I mean, you’re throwing a baseball at over 90 miles per hour. You’re frustrated and you want to throw it at somebody?” Castellanos said. “That’s like my 2-year-old throwing a tantrum because I took away his dessert before he finishes it.”
As a result of Uceta’s conduct, Rays manager Kevin Cash was also suspended for one game and fined.
“Good kid. He probably lost it a little bit,” Cash said of Uceta. “Ideally, that doesn’t happen – we get through the inning. The game was out of control, they had done the damage and we move on – we just have to get off the field.”
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