Major League Baseball has handed Dennis Santana a four-game suspension for swinging at a fan during a tense altercation in Thursday night’s doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers.
The Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher was also fined an undisclosed sum.
Dennis Santana, 29, chose not to go into detail when speaking with reporters after the game but emphasized that the fan involved had “crossed the line.”
“You guys know me — I’m a calm, level-headed person,” Santana said through an interpreter. “I’ve never had any issues with any of the teams I’ve played for. This guy crossed the line more than once.”
The altercation unfolded during the seventh inning of the second game, near the visitors’ bullpen, where Santana was seen approaching the wall alongside a security guard or officer and gesturing toward a fan.
At that point, the reliever jumped up and took a swing at the fan.
“He crossed the line, and I’d like to leave it at that. I’ve never had anything like this happen in my eight years in baseball,” Santana added.
Despite the suspension, Santana remains eligible to play for the Pirates while his appeal is under league review.
A Detroit Tigers spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic on Thursday that the fan was ejected from the game.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
SOURCE: FOX NEWS
Leave a Reply