Angels' Phil Nevin gets 10-game suspension for role in brawl; 11 others disciplined

Several members of the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels.

Staff Writer

June 27, 2022 Updated 10:02 PM PT

Major League Baseball made its decision on penalties from the Angels-Seattle Mariners’ brawl, and they were severe.

One day after a benches-and-bullpens-clearing fight between the Angels and Seattle Mariners, the league disciplined 12 players and coaches Monday, including Angels interim manager Phil Nevin, who received a 10-game suspension for what MLB called “the intentional throwing by pitcher Andrew Wantz while warnings were in place.”

Nevin said he had not heard from the league almost three hours before first pitch of the Angels’ 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox. He also said that his team already moved on from Sunday’s events.

“We’re business as usual,” he said before getting suspended. “The win was nice yesterday. I mean, we’re done talking about what happened. Over, done with.” Asked whether Wantz’s pitches were intentional, he said: “That’s not factual.”

Nevin served the first game of his suspension Monday, watching from a private suite at Angel Stadium. He’ll be eligible to return for the third game of the Angels’ four-game series with the Orioles in Baltimore, the team his son, Tyler, plays for. Bench coach Ray Montgomery — who was also suspended, but will serve his time at a later date — assumed interim managing duties on Monday.

Managers and coaches are not allowed to appeal MLB suspensions.

“Certainly MLB, they have a job to do and they did what they thought was right, and we have to just go forward,” Montgomery said after the game. He also said he did not find out he was managing the game until closer to 5 p.m. Monday.

The win over the White Sox, and the outcomes of the following nine other games Nevin will miss, all count as part of Nevin’s coaching record, per Elias Sports Bureau.

Mariners outfielder Jesse Winker, who was hit by the Wantz pitch, received a seven-game suspension for “actions that caused the incident and for fighting,” but was among the players appealing their suspensions and was able to play in the Mariners’ game Monday with the Orioles.

Tensions arose early Sunday afternoon, when Wantz threw a pitch at Mariners center fielder Julio Rodríguez’s head in the first inning, prompting umpires to issue a warning to both teams.

Despite what precipitated between Mariners reliever Erik Swanson and Angels center fielder Mike Trout the night before — when Swanson threw a pitch near Trout’s head — the umpires and Wantz downplayed that being a factor in Sunday’s events.

And there was no calming either side after Wantz then hit Winker on the buttocks in the second inning Sunday.

Players and coaches from both teams spilled onto the field.

Winker blamed Nevin and Anthony Rendon for how much the situation escalated.

“If they throw [Wantz] out, it stops,” he told Seattle’s MLB.com reporter. “If he hits me and they eject him, I go to first base. If the guy in the cast and their manager don’t talk, nothing happens.”

Rendon, who has a cast on his right wrist after season-ending surgery, came out of the Angels’ dugout and shoved his left hand into Winker’s face.

Rendon was given a five-game suspension, for “his actions during the incident and for leaving the dugout while on the injured list.” His suspension will be served when he returns from the injured list next season. He is prohibited from sitting on the bench for the Angels’ next seven games.

J.P. Crawford charged out of the Mariners’ dugout, jumped over his teammates and punched one of the Angels. Winker ended up at the bottom of the pile, in a scuffle with Angels reliever Ryan Tepera, with fellow Angels Brandon Marsh and Monte Harrison trying to get through the masses to separate them.

Tepera pitched a scoreless, hitless eighth inning on Monday. Marsh, who was 0 for 16, hit an RBI triple, going three for four with two runs scored.

Winker, during Sunday’s scrum, later got in the face of Nevin, voicing his anger over the situation, then made an obscene gesture to the Angel Stadium crowd on his way off the field after getting ejected.

Angels closer Raisel Iglesias was also ejected despite not hitting anyone. He threw a box of sunflower seed packets and a bucket of bubble gum onto the field and knocked over a cooler in the dugout in response to getting tossed.

Iglesias came in to close the ninth inning against the White Sox, helping the team finish the night 36-40.

Eight were ejected following the fight Sunday: Nevin, Tepera, Iglesias, Wantz, Winker, Crawford, Rodríguez and Mariners manager Scott Servais.

“It stinks not having everyone here. Whatever happened happened. We’re gonna make do with what we got,” Marsh said postgame. “So when 6:30 or 7 o’clock comes, we’re gonna strap it up and go. So that’s the way we were looking at it.”

Monday’s starter Noah Syndergaard pitched seven innings of six-hit, three-run ball, able to come away with the win in part because of the offense, sparked by Marsh.

The other punishments handed out Monday:

— Angels assistant pitching coach Dom Chiti, five-game suspension, for his actions during the incident.
— Crawford, five-game suspension, for fighting.
— Wantz, three-game suspension, for intentionally throwing at Winker with warnings in place. Wantz is not appealing and began serving his suspension Monday.
— Tepera, three-game suspension for his actions.
— Iglesias, two-game suspension for his actions.
— Rodríguez, two-game suspension for his actions.
— Montgomery, two-game suspension for his actions.
— Angels Major League interpreter Manny Del Campo, two-game suspension for his actions.
— Angels catching coach Bill Haselman, one-game suspension for his actions.

Chiti and Del Campo also began serving their suspensions on Monday. Montgomery and Haselman will serve their suspensions when Chiti returns.

Tepera, Iglesias, Crawford and Rodríguez also appealed their suspensions.