Major League Baseball suspended Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler and Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López for seven games each on Wednesday, one day after both were ejected during a bench-clearing brawl.
Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice-president for on-field operations, also announced that the two players received undisclosed fines.
The suspensions were set to take effect with Wednesday’s game, but they are currently on hold because both Soler and López have filed appeals.
What happened in the game
The incident unfolded in the fifth inning, when benches and bullpens cleared during the confrontation between the Braves and Angels.
Soler and López were among the players involved and were subsequently ejected. MLB reviewed the incident and issued the discipline a day later.
A familiar connection
The two players were teammates on the 2024 Braves, adding another layer of familiarity to the episode. Their shared history did not prevent the league from imposing identical punishments after the on-field altercation.
The appeals process means neither suspension will begin until the review is complete. For now, both clubs will continue without immediate roster penalties tied to the discipline.
The Braves-Angels matchup drew attention not for the final score, but for the intensity of the fifth-inning fight and the league’s swift response afterward.
