Outfielder Nick Castellanos was suspended for two games on his part in Saturday’s fight between the Reds and Cardinalsannounced the league. Castellanos was the only suspended player and is calling for the suspension of two games. Fines were issued to three players from each team – the Reds’ Castilians, Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez, and the Cardinals’ Jordan Hicks, Yadier Molina, and Nolan Arenado.
The incident developed after the card thrower Jake Woodford hit Castellanos with a shot during a fourth baton entry. Castellanos was not satisfied with the EdP and took the ball and held it in the direction of Woodford as he went to first base. Later in the inning, Castellanos scored third in a wild field, and celebrated the race by standing over Woodford (who was covering the base of the goal) and flexing. This led to the clearing of banks and a lot of jostling and heated words between Central NL’s two rivals.
More of the division….
- O Fathers I hope to have Trent Grisham back to the center field when they travel to play against the Rangers on April 9, manager Jayce Tingler told Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (via Twitter) Grisham has been out of action since suffering a thigh strain during a Spring Training game on March 11, although he played a few simulated games at the end of the camp. Austin Nola he is not so far away in his rehabilitation from a fractured left middle finger, but he could soon get some appearances at the Fathers’ alternative training site.
- O Puppies elaborate Javier Baez with the ninth overall pick of the 2011 draft, a selection that proved to be a winner, although Baez was one of many notable players chosen in an unusually star-studded first round. As Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune writes, the Cubs were placed in Baez as their choice, although they were looking to Jose Fernandez and CJ Cron as Plan B options if Baez was selected by one of eight teams choosing in front of Chicago. Tim Wilken, the Cubs’ amateur scout director at the time, said the club would have won Baez even if another prospective shortstop star Francisco lindor was still at the table – it turned out to be a moot point, as Cleveland took Lindor with the eighth overall choice, just ahead of Baez and the Cubs in ninth.