Major League Baseball suspended Twins relief pitcher Tyler Duffey three games and Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli one game for their actions during Tuesday's game against the White Sox. Baldelli will serve his suspension Thursday, but Duffey has elected to appeal the ban, making him available to pitch for the foreseeable future. The suspensions were for Duffey intentionally throwing behind White Sox rookie Yermín Mercedes following his 3-0 count home run in Monday's game off a position player.
Here's the announcement made by longtime Marlins executive and MLB on-field operations VP Michael Hill:
Minnesota Twins reliever Tyler Duffey has received a three-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for intentionally throwing a pitch behind Yermín Mercedes of the Chicago White Sox during the top of the seventh inning of Tuesday night's game at Target Field. Michael Hill, Major League Baseball's Senior Vice President for On-Field Operations, made the announcement.
In addition, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli has received a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine as a result of Duffey's actions. Baldelli will serve his suspension in the second game of today's doubleheader vs. the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim.
The suspension of Duffey had been scheduled to begin today, when the Twins are playing the doubleheader vs. the Angels. However, Duffey has elected to appeal. Thus, the discipline will be held in abeyance until the process is complete.
During Monday night's White Sox-Twins game, Mercedes hit a solo home run on a 3-0 pitch -- a 47 mph eephus -- from position player Willians Astudillo, in the ninth inning with the White Sox up 15-4.
The home run -- Mercedes' sixth on the year -- drew ire from a select few who believed that Mercedes wasn't following the game's "unwritten rules," including Mercedes' own manager, Hall of Famer Tony La Russa. La Russa issued a public reprimand of his own standout rookie.
In Tuesday's game, Duffey threw a 93-mph fastball behind Mercedes' hips on the first pitch of his plate appearance in the seventh inning. Duffey was immediately ejected and Baldelli got himself ejected shortly after arguing. La Russa, for his part, said he took no issue with the opponent's retaliation against his own player.
