ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Major League Baseball handed Genesis Cabrera a three-game suspension and a fine for his role in an altercation with Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Jose Caballero, a punishment the Toronto Blue Jays left-hander is appealing.
Cabrera shoved Caballero in the jaw following a verbal exchange at third base Saturday, when the two came together after a play at the bag to end the seventh inning. Caballero’s momentum carried him into Cabrera, he raised his hands asking what happened, Cabrera did the same and then pushed his opponent.
“Just a little bit of a mini-altercation between the two, just kind of ran into each other,” pitching coach Pete Walker said Sunday morning before the discipline came down. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Obviously, we don’t want to see that stuff on the field. But emotions, two guys that kind of came into very close proximity to each other and that’s pretty much it. Just wait to see what happens.”
Cabrera can continue to pitch until his appeal is resolved, preventing the Blue Jays from being short-handed Sunday against the Rays.
Fellow lefty Tim Mayza has pitched in two of the season’s first three games and the team doesn’t want to use him three times in four outings out of the gate.
Cabrera will also be needed over the coming week with the Houston Astros featuring lefty sluggers Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker and the Yankees featuring Juan Soto and Anthony Rizzo.
