Willson Contreras has been suspended for six games for his outburst on Monday night after he was called out on strikes and ejected from a game against the Pirates.
Major League Baseball also fined him an undisclosed amount for the incident.
Contreras’ suspension was set to begin on Tuesday night when the Cardinals hosted the Pirates for the second game of a four-game set, but the Cardinals’ first baseman has appealed the decision and he won’t serve any of it until the appeals process plays out.
Contreras was involved in a wild scene on Monday night when he erupted on the home plate umpire and had to be restrained by manager Oli Marmol and other members of the Cardinals staff.
Contreras slammed his helmet to the ground and while he was being led off the field by bench coach Daniel Descalso, the Cards’ player swung around and threw his bat in the direction of home plate and hit hitting coach Brant Brown.
He continued the scene by launching a bucket of gum out of the Cardinals’ dugout and onto the field.
Crew chief Jordan Baker had told a pool reporter after the game that Contreras and Marmol, who was also ejected from the game, had made “vulgar” comments and said Contreras had made contact with the home plate ump.
Contreras expressed remorse for hitting Brown with the bat when he spoke with reporters after Monday’s game.
“I apologized to [Brown],” Contreras said, according to The Athletic. “I wasn’t looking back, I just threw the bat back. That was not on purpose.”
As for the allegations that he had said something to the umpire, he didn’t agree with that.
“I turned around, he threw me out, he had no reason for it. Apparently he heard something that I said, but I didn’t say that,” he said.