MLB Comes Down On Rangers and Blue Jays

Major League Baseball announced Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor received an eight-game suspension for punching Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista on Sunday.  Bautista received a one-game ban for his actions and postgame comments.

In total, 14 players and staff were disciplined for their roles in the brawl at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas.

Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus was suspended one game for his "aggressive actions during the incident." Andrus does not plan to appeal, and he will serve his suspension Tuesday in Oakland.

"The rules are fair for punishment," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "They are in place for a reason. We'll live by them and move on."

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was suspended three games. He had been ejected earlier in Sunday's game but returned to the field. First-base coach Tim Leiper was handed a one-game ban for returning to the dugout after his ejection. Both were fined undisclosed amounts.

Bench coach DeMarlo Hale will manage the Blue Jays while Gibbons serves his suspension, beginning with Tuesday night's game against Tampa Bay. Assistant hitting coach Eric Owens coached first base Tuesday in Leiper's place.

Gibbons, who was suspended one game in August for returning to the field during an altercation with Kansas City after he was ejected earlier in the game, said he was surprised by the length of his suspension this time.

"I thought that was a little excessive," Gibbons said. "But what are you going to do? I've got enough issues to worry about."

Even though he knew he would be punished, Gibbons said he returned to the field to calm the situation and protect his players.

"That's your team out there," he said. "It makes sense to me that you should go out there and try to keep things under control, but that's not the rules, so you've got to live with that."

Gibbons would not say whether he thought eight games was a fair penalty for Odor.

"I can't worry about him,'' Gibbons said. "I've got to worry about myself."

Odor was fined $5,000, according to Yahoo! Sports. He and Bautista both appealed their discipline.

"I knew I was going to be suspended,'' Odor said before Texas' game at Oakland. "I have to follow the rules, and I'm just waiting for the appeal. I want to be with my team all year. I don't want to be out eight games."

Bautista slid at Odor's legs in the midst of a double play in the top of the eighth inning of the Rangers' 7-6 win. Players from both teams rushed the field, and Odor shoved Bautista and then landed a punch to his face. Bautista had reached base after being hit by a pitch from Matt Bush.

Odor said Monday he didn't regret hitting Bautista.

Many players were involved in the melee. Bautista and Odor were ejected after the brawl, as were Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson and Texas bench coach Steve Buechele, who were fined Tuesday.

Bautista refused to speak to reporters for a second straight day, while Donaldson offered mostly one-word answers when asked to comment on the rulings. Asked whether he considered the tension between the Blue Jays and Rangers to be over, Donaldson said "sure."

(MLB.com)