Amir Garrett gets hit with 7-game suspension after bench-clearing incident

Cincinnati Reds reliever Amir Garrett has received a seven-game suspension for inciting a confrontation against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday.

Over the weekend, the benches cleared between the Reds and the Cubs after an escalated incident between left-hander Garrett and shortstop Baez. Long story short: hand motions were made, strong words were exchanged, and any UFC-style punching drama was luckily prevented.

The MLB just announced that Garrett will serve a seven-game suspension for his involvement (and pay an undisclosed fine) while Baez will only pay a fine. Garrett’s suspension technically starts Tuesday night, when the Reds host the Chicago White Sox, but Garrett plans to appeal the decision. As per league rules, disciplinary action will be held off until the review process is complete.

It isn’t the first time Garrett and Baez has been at each other’s throats and likely won’t be the last. While many have already pointed out the unfairness of the league’s judgment, the ever-so-light slap on the wrist isn’t doing any favors for Baez, who played one of his worst games on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He committed three errors in the game, though the Cubs ended up winning 7-1.

Stay tuned to see if the league will overturn Garrett’s suspension so he can feature back in the Reds roster as soon as possible.