Major League Baseball has slapped a four-game suspension on Angels infielder Anthony Rendon after he tried to slap an A’s fan on opening night Thursday in Oakland.
The incident was caught on camera and has gone viral in the days since, as Rendon tugged on the fan’s jersey at a railing near the dugout and had some choice words. Rendon accused the fan of calling him a “b*tch” but the fan denied it, before Rendon swung and missed with an open fist.
According to Alden González of ESPN, the suspension was reduced from five games to four games after an agreement was reached between the league and the MLB Players’ Association.
González also reported that Rendon will start serving his suspension for Monday night’s game against the Seattle Mariners, meaning the earliest he could return would be Saturday’s contest against the Toronto Blue Jays.
According to Sam Blum of The Athletic, Rendon spoke with the fan over the phone and they apologized to each other.
Instead of an appeals process, which can drag out for weeks, Rendon will be sidelined immediately. Last year, Tim Anderson was initially suspended one game for flipping off a fan, and the league rescinded the suspension while maintaining a fine on May 10.
The incident is a bad look for Rendon, who is making $38 million this year and should be used to getting heckled at this point of his career. The fan's behavior was ugly, too, but Rendon didn't need to resort to getting physical.
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