Major League Baseball suspended four players on Thursday following a brawl during Tuesday night’s game between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Boston’s first baseman, Willson Contreras, and Washington’s starting pitcher, Cade Cavalli, both received seven-game suspensions and unspecified fines for their involvement in a fourth-inning confrontation.
The incident occurred during Washington’s 8-1 win when Cavalli struck out Contreras on a full-count pitch and shouted, “Sit down, boy.” This prompted Contreras to charge the mound, throwing his helmet at Cavalli, leading to both teams’ benches and bullpens clearing.
MLB additionally suspended Nationals’ right-hander Miles Mikolas for five games and Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton for three games. These players also faced undisclosed fines and were ejected from the game for their participation in a separate scuffle.
All suspensions are set to begin on Friday. The Red Sox will start a three-game series in Anaheim, while the Nationals will face the Pittsburgh Pirates at home. The Red Sox are expected to feel the impact more immediately, as Contreras will miss an entire week of play, while Cavalli and Mikolas may only miss one start in the rotation.
Cavalli expressed regret on Wednesday, acknowledging the historical weight of the term “boy” and stating that the incident affected him personally due to the example he wants to set for young fans. The Nationals also addressed the issue internally with the pitcher.
Contreras entered the game after a period of emotional stress. He had been ejected the previous night for disputing a checked-swing call and has publicly discussed the pressure of devastating earthquakes occurring in Venezuela, his home country.
Appeals by the players could delay the suspensions until MLB completes its review process.
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