How long will Bryce Harper be suspended for starting brawl?
Bryce Harper charged the mound, threw his helmet and traded blows with Giants pitcher Hunter Strickland, so how long will the two be suspended?
There’s been an ongoing beef between Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals and Hunter Strickland of the San Francisco Giants that blew up on Memorial Day. Strickland drilled Harper with a pitch, presumably retaliation for Harper pimping a home run in the 2014 NLDS off Strickland, because pitchers have memories like elephants and never forget.
Harper didn’t take his base and walk up the line to first and took a few steps toward the mound before charging toward Strickland, throwing his helmet as if he were 50 Cent throwing out a ceremonial first pitch and exchanging blows with the Giants reliever.
It was one of the ugliest scenes we’ve seen in baseball this year, or any year for that matter, especially one involving one of the biggest names in the sport. It’s also going to result in Harper and Strickland going on a hiatus with a looming suspension.
Hunter Strickland drilled Bryce Harper and punched him in the face when Harper charger him pic.twitter.com/7QNliRl55K
— Superdrunkmark69 (@cjzer0) May 29, 2017
MLB is likely to suspend both Harper and Strickland and perhaps more as benches cleared, but just how long will the two be out of action?
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Strickland is going to face discipline for hitting Harper and could be subjected to a five-game suspension, but Harper’s actions were much here and could be facing a suspension that keeps him out more than a week. This is purely speculation, but depending on how MLB views Harper’s helmet toss could determine the severity of the suspension. If MLB determines he wasn’t throwing the helmet at Strickland and using it as a weapon, he could face a shorter suspension. If it’s ruled he was using it as a weapon, he could be subject to a 5-10 game suspension.
If MLB determines he was just tossing his helmet aside, he could face a similar suspension to that of Baltimore Orioles’ Manny Machado who was suspended for four games last year for charging the mound and punching Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura.
Both players will have the opportunity to appeal their likely forthcoming suspensions and for the Nationals, they’re about to be without the leading NL MVP candidate for an unknown amount of time.