SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mariners reliever Gabe Speier was given a three-game suspension Thursday after hitting Detroit’s Gleyber Torres with a pitch in the eighth inning of Wednesday night's game.
Speier is appealing the ban, according to the MLB Players Association.
Additionally, Mariners manager Dan Wilson was also suspended one-game and will serve his suspension in the series finale Thursday against the Tigers. Managers cannot appeal a suspension.
Manny Acta will serve as the manager for the Mariners.
Speier had relieved Bryan Woo in the eighth inning of Seattle’s 4-2 win. After getting the first two outs, Speier threw two inside fastballs to Torres, with the latter pegging him on the upper left leg on a 96.3 mph pitch.
Torres and Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh proceeded to have words with each other before the benches and bullpens cleared. There were no punches thrown, and Wilson was ejected in the aftermath after Speier was tossed from the game. It was the second time this season Wilson was removed from a game.
“It’s always frustrating when your guy’s the guy that gets thrown out,” Wilson said Wednesday. “I think, you know, their guy hits somebody and there’s no consequences.”
Torres was the fourth Tigers batter plunked after Woo hit three batters for only the second time in his career. Tigers rookie Max Clark took a pitch off his elbow guard leading off the third, Riley Green was hit by a pitch in the fourth, and Zach McKinstry in the fifth — both breaking balls on the back foot. McKinstry got first base only after a replay review showed that the ball grazed the front of his foot.
Raleigh had been plunked as well in the bottom half of the seventh by Detroit left-hander Enmanuel De Jesus with a 95-mph fastball in the bottom of the seventh.
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