CLEVELAND — Following the viral fight between Cleveland Guardians third baseman José Ramírez and Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson that occurred on Saturday night, the question isn't whether either player will be suspended, but rather, for how long.
The incident occurred in the the sixth inning of the White Sox 7-4 win at Progressive Field on Saturday night. After Ramírez slid into second base, he and Anderson proceeded to square up and throw punches, with the Guardians' All-Star third baseman knocking down Anderson with an overhand right to the chin, which dazed the 30-year-old shortstop.
Ramírez was in the lineup for Cleveland on Sunday, while Anderson received a reported scheduled day off. It is expected that suspensions for both players could be announced as early as Monday.
So what kind of suspension are Ramirez and Anderson looking at?
While the MLB rule book doesn't explicitly mention fighting, both players' actions likely qualify for the league's "unsportsmanlike conduct" category. Such fights have typically resulted in 2-5 game suspensions for position players (pitchers often receive longer suspensions to ensure they'll miss at least one start).
In 2017, then-Washington Nationals star Bryce Harper received a four-game suspension for his role in a fight with San Francisco Giants pitcher Hunter Strickland. That fight saw both players exchange punches after Strickland hit Harper with a pitch, in what escalated into a bench-clearing brawl.
The wild card, regarding Ramírez, may be the end result, in which his punch knocked down and reportedly dazed Anderson. Considering the Guardians' third baseman inflicted more apparent damage, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him receive a harsher punishment than Anderson receives.
It would, however, be a surprise to see Ramírez suspended significantly longer than Harper was six years ago. Considering the viral nature of the brawl, perhaps he'll receive as many as five games, with another potential factor being who the league determines instigated the brawl.