Major League Baseball has suspended Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Dempster for five games after he intentionally hit Alex Rodriguez on Sunday night.
Dempster was not ejected from Sunday’s game after he hit Rodriguez with a pitch during the second inning of the game. MLB ruled that home plate umpire Brian O’Nora should have ejected Dempster from the game.
Instead Dempster was allowed to stay in the game and Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected when he complained to O’Nora.
“Whether you like me or hate, that was wrong,” Rodriguez told reporters Sunday night. “That was unprofessional and silly. It was kind of a silly way to get someone hurt on your team as well.”
“You can’t start throwing at people,” Yankee manager Joe Girardi said Sunday night.”Lives, people have had concussions; lives are changed by getting hit by pitches.”
The suspension of a starting pitcher typically only pushes their next start back a day. Dempster could appeal the penalty, then accept it and pitch on an extra day of rest.
