Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Genesis Cabrera will commence his suspension on Tuesday evening after his three-game penalty was shortened to two games following an appeal.
The MLB disclosed the suspension on Sunday, although Cabrera remained eligible to play for the team during the appeal period. A resolution regarding the disciplinary action was confirmed on Tuesday afternoon by a spokesperson for the Blue Jays.
During Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, Cabrera pushed Jose Caballero after the Rays’ shortstop was tagged out at third base in Toronto’s 5-1 defeat.
Toronto Blue Jays reliever Genesis Cabrera will start serving his suspension on Tuesday night after his initial three-game ban was reduced to two games following an appeal.
The MLB announced the suspension on Sunday, although Cabrera remained available to the team during the appeal process. A settlement on the discipline was confirmed Tuesday afternoon by a spokesperson for the Blue Jays.
During Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, Cabrera pushed Jose Caballero after the Rays’ shortstop was tagged out at third base in Toronto’s 5-1 defeat.
Caballero’s momentum caused him to bump into Cabrera, who was positioned behind the base to back up the throw. Despite Caballero’s lack of retaliation, the benches cleared after the altercation.
Standing at six-foot-two and weighing 180 pounds, Cabrera compiled a record of 2-1 with a 4.04 earned-run average across 61 appearances last season for both the Blue Jays and the St. Louis Cardinals.
He will miss two games against the Houston Astros and will be eligible to return on Friday for the opening game of Toronto’s three-game series against the New York Yankees.
Cabrera made his major-league debut in 2019 with St. Louis and spent parts of five seasons with the team before being traded to the Blue Jays last July in exchange for minor-league catcher Sammy Hernandez.
His absence presents a challenge for the Toronto bullpen, which is already dealing with injuries to closer Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson.
Romano, a native of Markham, Ontario, and Swanson both began the regular season on the 15-day injured list after sustaining injuries during the pre-season.
This article by The Canadian Press was initially released on April 2, 2024.