1:52 pm: Laureano has actually received a suspension of six games, says Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).
1:41 pm: Major League Baseball will announce that coach of Astros strikes Alex Cintron and Field Runner Athletics Ramon Laureano have been suspended for their roles in this week’s brawl between the two teams. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that Cintron will receive a 20-game delay, while Laureano will stop for five games (Twitter links). Ken Rosenthal, the Athletic, tweets that Laureano’s penalty is still being finalized, so the sum of five games may not have been set in stone yet. A formal announcement has not been made, but figures should follow shortly.
Cintron’s penalty is the largest ever given to a coach. The former big leaguer was clearly seen letting Laureano out of the dugout after Laureano took the first base after the second time he was hit by a pitch in Sunday’s game. Laureano had some keywords for Houston pitcher Humberto Castellanos when he walked to first base but first took no action for the Astros. Cintron, however, continued with verbal barbs and took a step toward Laureano, apparently seeming to engage him in an altercation. Laureano eventually lost his cool and gave up on Cintron’s pitch.
The result was, of course, the exact kind of situation Major League Baseball sought to avoid in the midst of this pandemic interrupted season: a brawl on the field in which members of both clubs were in direct physical contact – many without a mask or face mask. Catcher of Houston Dustin Garneau, a former teammate of Laureano’s in Oakland, quickly grabbed him to the ground and said he did so in an attempt to diffuse the situation. Other members of both organizations soon pulled the parties involved apart and managed to suppress the fracks, but suspensions for Cintron and Laureano, the two central figures of the brawl, have been widely anticipated since the incident.
For the A’s, the loss of Laureano for almost a week is significant in the course of a short season. The former Astros farm hand was purchased at minimal cost after the 2017 season, but he has flourished as a star since his debut in Oakland in 2017. Laureano, a standout defender with a rocket arm, has proven a legitimate threat on the bases and on the plate. In 731 career record appearances, he is a .286 / .351 / .507 hitter with 32 home games and 21 steals. He’s probably off to the best start of his career in 2020, throwing .263 / .405 / .491 in 74-plate appearances.
Laureano could still appeal the penalty and push for a reduced suspension, which seems likely to be the case. Assuming he’s still suspended at some point, the A’s can turn them around Mark Canha again in center field as one of recall Skye Bolt, Luis Barrera of Dustin Fowler of their alternative site.
