Soler Charged the Mound, Punches Flew, and Now Both Guys Are Out
Jorge Soler and Reynaldo López went at it hard on Tuesday night in Anaheim, and Major League Baseball didn't waste any time handing down consequences. Both players got hit with seven-game suspensions Wednesday for their roles in the benches-clearing brawl, though López's got a break: the league and the players union agreed to cut his suspension down to five games, effective immediately. Since there's an off day coming, he'll still make his next scheduled start for Atlanta. Soler's suspension is on hold pending appeal.
How It Blew Up at the Mound
Soler was having a field day against López. He'd already launched a two-run home run off him in the first inning, and in his next at-bat, López drilled him with a 96 mph fastball. Then came the fifth inning: López threw a wild pitch high and inside that ticked off catcher Jonah Heim's glove. That's when Soler snapped. He charged the mound. López stood there with his hands up at first, the two of them locked eyes for a second, and then it was on. Both started throwing punches. López, holding the baseball in his right hand, threw a punch at Soler's batting helmet. Suddenly players and coaches were pouring out of the dugouts and bullpens. Braves manager Walt Weiss actually tackled Soler to get him off his feet.
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Soler was blunt about it. "I asked him if everything was OK and the answer he gave me, I didn't like it," he said through an interpreter. "That's why I went out there." López said there was never any intent to hit him. "It's just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded," he said through an interpreter. Weiss, who had López and Soler as teammates during the second half of 2024, explained his decision to jump in: "I love Soler. We were teammates here. But that's a big man, and so I just felt I've gotta get him off his feet because he's gonna hurt somebody." For context: Soler is 14 for 23 with five homers and three doubles against López in their careers. Atlanta won the game 7-2.
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