Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles will now be suspended seven games following his appeal, Major League Baseball announced Friday.
Robles, who had been facing a 10-game suspension after he threw a bat in frustration toward an opposing player during a minor league rehab assignment, will begin serving the ban with Friday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. He also had been fined an undisclosed amount over the incident.
On Aug. 17, Robles was playing for Triple-A Tacoma when he was nearly hit by an inside pitch from Las Vegas' Joey Estes in the third inning. After taking a few steps behind the plate, Robles picked up his bat and threw it in Estes' direction. Robles was promptly ejected by plate umpire Joe McCarthy.
Robles had been hit by a pitch three times in his previous four games with Tacoma, including once by Estes. Robles took some steps toward the mound while yelling at the pitcher, but he was held back by McCarthy and his Tacoma teammates.
He apologized for the incident at the time.
«I want to take a moment to sincerely apologize for my recent reaction on the field,» he wrote in an Instagram story. «I let my frustration get the best of me, and I understand how that may have affected not just the game, but the energy and respect we all work so hard to maintain.
»Coming off a long rehab and being away from the game for most of the season has been physically and mentally challenging. Adding to that, the recent passing of my mother has been incredibly hard, and I've been doing my best to hold it together. That's not an excuse, but some context I feel you deserve to understand where I'm coming from."
Robles had been out since April 6 due to a dislocated left shoulder. He had returned to the Mariners and played
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