NEW YORK, April 25 (UPI) -- Major League Baseball passed out suspensions and fines on Saturday for seven players involved in an on-field brawl in Chicago during a game between the White Sox and the Kansas City Royals.
The fight began in the seventh inning of the game at U.S. Cellular Field on Thursday, when White Sox batter Adam Eaton hit a ball right back at Kansas City pitcher Yordano Ventura. The two exchanged words and both benches cleared in a brawl moments later.
Major League Baseball handed out the biggest suspension to Ventura -- a seven-game vacation -- and five-game suspensions to White Sox starting pitchers Chris Sale and Jeff Samardzija, and Royals starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, who became involved in the fight.
Two-game suspensions were given to two other Kansas City players: Outfielder Lorenzo Cain and pitcher Kelvin Herrera, MLB said. All six players were also hit with fines -- plus Chicago catcher Tyler Flowers, who escaped suspension by the league.
All players except Flowers and Herrera were ejected from the game. For Ventura, it was his second ejection from a game this month, after he was tossed last weekend for throwing at a batter during a game against the Oakland Athletics.
Joe Garagiola Jr., MLB's Senior Vice President of Standards & On-Field Operations, made the announcement Saturday. MLB noted the suspensions will begin Sunday, unless any of the players appeal their punishment.
The Chicago White Sox said Sale and Samardzija will appeal their five-game suspensions, which means they can continue playing until the matter is settled.
"I think everybody had some elements of their behavior over the course of that incident on both sides that they wish they had handled differently," White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn said. "I respect the fact that our players stood up and took responsibility for their actions and expressed remorse over those things."
White Sox pitcher Matt Albers, who has been one of the team's best relievers so far this season, was not suspended or fined, but was moved to the team's 15-day disabled list after fracturing a finger during the brawl.
Ventura received the harshest penalty because MLB believed he played the biggest part in the fight. After Eaton hit the ball back toward him, he began shouting and cursing at the batter. Earlier this week, Ventura was also fined for throwing at the Oakland batter last weekend.
Tension between the White Sox and Royals began three weeks ago, on opening day, when Samardzija beaned Cain with a pitch immediately following a Kansas City home run. Tensions further escalated before the brawl Thursday when Ventura and Sale each beaned an opposing batter.
