Tampa Bay Rays reliever Edwin Uceta has been handed a three-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for intentionally hitting Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos during Tuesday night’s game. This comes in addition to his ejection from the game.
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash also faces a one-game suspension. Although Cash did not explicitly order the hit, the league holds managers accountable in cases of intentional pitches.
In the bottom of the eighth inning on Tuesday, the Phillies had already scored five runs, with three of those attributed to Uceta. Frustrated, Uceta targeted Castellanos, which resulted in the benches clearing.
Nick Castellanos was hit, and the Phillies didn’t take kindly to it. 😡 pic.twitter.com/SYAa3pRfy3
— Phillies Nation (@PhilliesNation) September 11, 2024
After the game, Uceta claimed he threw a changeup and did not intend to hit Castellanos. However, Marc Topkin from The Tampa Bay Times noted that tracking data indicated it was a 96.2 mph sinker. On Wednesday, Uceta revised his statement, clarifying that he threw a fastball, not a changeup. He also mentioned he is still considering whether to appeal his suspension.
#Rays Uceta also clarified his comments from last night, which he said were not translated properly, saying that the pitch that hit Castellanos was (obviously) a fastball, not a changeup.
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) September 11, 2024
Cash has stated that Uceta will start serving his suspension immediately. “Understand it from all perspectives, including Philadelphia’s team,” Cash said. “The league is still determining how it will all play out, but he’ll begin his suspension tonight.”
Phillies manager Rob Thomson supported the league’s decision, stating that the swift action aims to prevent further incidents. “I think they usually act quickly to address these situations,” Thomson said.
Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper all had strong reactions to the incident, which are detailed further below.
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