Major League Baseball announced Thursday that Astros right-hander Mike Fiers has been suspended for five games and fined an undisclosed amount after throwing behind Luis Valbuena’s head during last night’s game against the Angels (video link). Fiers is not appealing his suspension, which will take effect tonight. After starting last night’s game, Fiers wouldn’t have been able to throw for the next three to four days anyhow, so the suspension will likely only cost him one appearance (be it a relief outing or an additional start in McCullers’ place).
[Related: Houston Astros depth chart]
Fiers made a spot start in place of Lance McCullers, who was dealing with arm fatigue, and was ambushed early by the Halos, who put up eight runs in the first two innings. Valbuena hit a two-run homer to cap off a five-run first inning and, as he’s done throughout his career, celebrated with a rather emphatic bat flip. Fiers, apparently, took exception to his former teammate’s display and let a 90 mph pitch sail behind Valbuena’s head in his next at-bat. Fiers wasn’t ejected — though the home plate umpire warned both benches — and Valbuena ultimately responded by ripping the next pitch into the right-field corner for a double.
Fiers explained to reporters that he has no hard feelings toward his former teammate and didn’t intend to hit him but rather to send a message after he felt he was disrespected (link via Jake Kaplan of the Houston Chronicle).
The 32-year-old Fiers has pitched to a 5.22 ERA with 8.6 K/9 against 3.6 BB/9 through 153 innings in 2017 while earning a $3.45MM salary after avoiding arbitration last offseason. He’ll be arbitration-eligible again this winter and is controllable through the 2019 campaign.
Awaiting complaints of Betances getting Zero for hitting McCann in the head (although I was surprised a tad he didn’t get at least 1)
And Sanchez only got 3 games for sucker punching people
He should have got more too
Ludicrous. Gary Sanchez was merely protecting his teammates by intervening, trying to break up the fracas. He should be commended. Sanchez shouldn’t have been suspended in the first place. Miggy should’ve been suspended at a minimum 50 games. He instigated the brawl
Another great take
Sanchez should be sucker punched in the back like he did others. Sanchez is the slimiest of players, one that will only punch you from behind. Men don’t do that.
Miggy stood in front of a man and threw a punch at him. That is what MEN do.
They don’t throw a FB at people’s heads. They don’t punch people in the back. They stand in front of them and do what needs to be done.
Outstanding Ralphie! You showed everyone again your steep intelligence. We can not wait for more of your deep wisdom. Like someone suggested, move out of your Pappy’s basement and experience everything you have missed about life.
And that’s why ya don’t throw at guys heads. Better that fiers is out for 5 games than valbuena is out the rest of the season because of a concussion
Fiers disrespected the game by throwing a cookie. If he wanted to send a message, he should have struck LV out.
Really? This coming from the guy who hit Stanton in the face a few years ago and cost him his his season and his shot at MVP that year. This is absolutely pathetic. If there’s anyone who should know how dangerous throwing at someone’s head is, it should be him. Very disappointed.
It’s a joke that he felt “Disrespected”. When you’re pitching like you’re throwing batting practice, how can you take exception to guys Teeing off against you? You wanna send a message, dominate!
It clearly wasn’t the homer. It was the bat flip where he felt disrespected
valbuena will bat flip a single. the Astros know this. annoying? yes. but it’s his thing and he has done it for a while
I guess he is just happy to get a hit batting below. 200.
valbuena will bat flip a single. the Astros know this. He did it against the Angels for a few years. annoying? yes. but it’s his thing and he has done it for a while
While Fiers FB probably won’t kill at 89 MPH, throwing at anyone’s head for any reason is beyond reprehensible. If he admitted he threw at him, Fiers should be in jail, not serving a 5-day suspension.
This article unfairly gives the perception that Fiers’ pitch to Valbuena was near his head. Pitches in the bottom of the strike zone are located closer to the head than Fiers’ pitch, which was to say the least, cast into a low earth orbit.
Valbuena is hitting sub .200. Not to defend Fiers, but a bat flip like that from a dude hitting .197?
I’m not defending valbuena but he does bat flip everything and he was a teammate of his the past two seasons so he should have known he was going to bat flip.
So if fiers was pitching in a two out bases loaded situation and the Astros were up by one and he gets a strikeout and he’s super pumped yelling and tapping his glove he shouldn’t be able to do that? Since he has an era above 5
Pumping your fist or yelling after a big out/hit is purely emotional. Bat flipping and staring at your home run is showy and self indulgent. It’s been acknowledged as a show of disrespect across the league to flip your bat since the dawn of man, and a sub .200 hitter shouldn’t be doing it in a regular season game.
Shut it… he should get disrespected if he can’t get a so-called sub . 200 hitter out. Quit making excuses for this nonsense.
All the more reason not to flip your bat. .200 hitter vs a guy with a five.
So called? The guy is hitting below .200.
Outstanding rope. outstanding flip. Outstanding throw. Baseball! That fellow who hits people and threatens their life style maybe wants to play at home now. He has a five plus ERA and wants respect. What a doofus!
Can’t these guys throw at people below the shoulders? Sooner or later, the inevitable is going to happen.
Ask Julio Mendez about getting hit below the shoulders?
If you don’t remember:
mlbtraderumors.com/2017/08/nl-notes-brewers-marlin…
Imagine being so immature and thin skinned someone must be that they throw at a guy because he bat flipped off you.
Fiers days as an Astro are numbered
I wish yesterday had been day one of the end of his tenure. I believe Astros front office called MLB and asked them to suspend him. Dude is pathetic, unbelievable this guy threw a nohitter.
Fiers sent a message, alright. His message is that he has a 9 ERA in his last 12 games, he’s not making the post=season roster, and he’s getting non-tendered this offseason.
I don’t think he gets non-tendered.
I was watching that game. Valbuena’s bat flip was more than emphatic. I’m thinkin, he’s gonna get one high and hard next at bat. Sure enough Fiers fires one behind him, 5 feet over his head, hitting the backstop. Clearly a message and clearly didn’t mean to hit him.
Yet, 5 games. What a joke. People get less for sucker punching people.
Bob Gibson, Don Drysdale, Juan Marichal, Steve Carlton would have planted that pitch into Valbuena’s rib cage!
First off, it was a terrible move for Fiers to do that. He looks completely unprofessional, and like he just can’t take being beat. Terrible move by him.
However, I simply don’t understand the suspension. Ultimately, I realize it’s probably to try and prevent it from happening in the future; but he could have hit him, and he didn’t. Most as upset and immature as Fiers would have just plunked him–risking injury, clearing benches, etc., In context, this seems like a better option. LOL… As messed up as it sounds, if he HAD hit him intentionally, he probably would not have been suspended.
Just some thoughts.
I hope we sign Moose in the off season and I never have to watch that bat flip again. It is disrespectful and you should get a ribshot if you do it.
I have never understood how a bat flip is “showing a guy up”. Hitting a monster homerun would do it though! Of course, some guys do it after EVERY homerun. The situation should play a part too.