Just hours after off-field unrest stemming from recent immigration crackdowns spilled into the atmosphere at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, Major League Baseball handed down multiple suspensions following an on-field melee between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.
The heated series finale, part of a tension-filled four-game stretch that saw eight batters hit by pitches, boiled over late in the game, prompting MLB to issue disciplinary actions on Friday against both managers and a pitcher for their roles in the benches-clearing incident.
Off the field, immigration-related protests had cast a shadow over the venue. But it was the escalating animosity between these two NL West rivals that truly boiled over, resulting in suspensions and fines for key figures involved in the bench-clearing incident.
Across the four-game series, eight players were hit by pitches, a clear sign of growing friction. But it was Thursday night’s showdown that tipped the scale.
Major League Baseball handed down suspensions on Friday to Padres manager Mike Shildt and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, each receiving a one-game ban along with undisclosed fines for “unsportsmanlike conduct and for contributing to inciting the benches-clearing incident.”
Padres pitcher Robert Suarez was given a three-game suspension and fined for “intentionally hitting” Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, a charge he is currently appealing.
The tension peaked in the ninth inning with San Diego leading 5-0, when Dodgers reliever Jack Little struck Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. on the hand.
As Tatis reeled in pain, Shildt stormed out—initially to check on his player, but quickly shifting focus to confront Roberts.
The two managers exchanged heated words near home plate, with benches from both sides spilling onto the field. Both Shildt and Roberts were ejected before calm was temporarily restored.
The calm didn’t last long.
In the bottom of the inning, Suarez hit Ohtani in the shoulder, prompting another near eruption. But Ohtani diffused the situation, waving off his teammates and taking his base peacefully.
Asked postgame if he believed Tatis was targeted, Shildt expressed doubt but made his frustration clear.
“Whether it was or it wasn’t, enough is enough,” he said. “We got a guy who’s getting X-rays right now, is one of the best players in the game, fortunately he’s on our team, and this guy has taken shots, OK?”
He added, “… Teams that I manage don’t get into altercations like this because teams I manage don’t throw at people. But also – teams I manage don’t take anything.”
Roberts, for his part, rejected the notion that Dodgers pitchers aimed to injure Tatis and expressed sympathy for the injured star.
“I didn’t feel good about Tatis — great player, good guy — getting hit,” he said. “I didn’t feel good about it. And so as (Shildt) comes out, and he’s yelling at me and staring me down, that bothers me. Because, to be quite frank, that’s the last thing I wanted.”
Padres veteran Manny Machado, reflecting on the tense evening, quipped, “They need to set a little candle up for Tatis tomorrow, and hope that everything comes back negative.”
That candle, it seems, did the job. Shildt later confirmed Tatis would return to the lineup Friday after X-rays revealed no serious injury, just soreness.
Both managers will serve their suspensions beginning Friday, with the Dodgers hosting the Washington Nationals and the Padres taking on the Kansas City Royals.
Fans won’t have to wait long for the next chapter in this fierce rivalry, the Dodgers and Padres are scheduled to meet again in mid-August at Dodger Stadium.
