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New York Mets manager Buck Showalter on Tuesday suggested his team was being treated unfairly by the league.
Showalter wondered why the Mets were the only team getting punished by the MLB considering their batters have been belted by opposing pitchers at an extremely high rate this season.
The manager was given an undisclosed fine and served a one-game suspension Monday after New York reliever Yoan López threw inside at Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber on Sunday night.
While Lopez did not hit Schwarber, the league determined he intentionally threw at him after Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was belted the previous inning.
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New York Mets manager Buck Showalter (11) looks on during the MLB baseball game between the New York Mets and the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 24, 2022 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. (Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Mets have been reportedly hit by a league-leading 21 pitches this season, though their opponents have yet to be disciplined for the pitches.
Cardinals star Nolan Arenado and pitcher Génesis Cabrera were suspended, but for their roles in the brawl that occurred between St. Louis and New York Wednesday afternoon.
The incident saw both benches clear after Mets reliever Yoan Lopez threw a 94 mph fastball near Nolan Arenado’s head and after Cardinals pitcher Genesis Cabrera belted Mets’ third baseman J.D. Davis in the foot during the eighth inning.
Benches clear during the eighth inning of a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets Wednesday, April 27, 2022, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Meanwhile, Lopez was fined and suspended for three games after the incident on Sunday. He was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse after the game, and his suspension starts when he returns to the active big league roster.
Showalter wondered why the Mets are the only MLB team getting punished amid the recent string of hit batters, calling it “kind of strange.”
“I’m worried about the game today. We’ve moved on from St. Louis,” Showalter said Tuesday. “If you don’t, it’s funny, we’re the guys that have been hit, and we’re the ones getting punished. Think about it. It’s kind of strange. Believe me, I have some personal, private thoughts about it. It probably doesn’t do anybody any good to air it.”
Showalter also took issue with the fact that he was informed of his suspension just moments before New York was set to take the field on Monday night.
“The things that get under my craw, are stuff that’s not fair for our players. I can deal with it,” Showalter added. “Managers, coaches, we don’t really matter. Just trying to create an environment you don’t have to walk in a locker room at 6:25 [p.m.] and tell them, ‘Go get ’em.’ And then go tell the coaching staff and change anything. I don’t know that competitively speaking if the timing was fair to the New York Mets.”
Mets bench coach Glenn Sherlock filled in for Showalter, with help from pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and hitting coach Eric Chávez.
“We were surprised, I can tell you that,” Sherlock added. “It was close to game time, but like I said, that’s baseball, and that’s really not our decision. Just have to deal with it.”
Manager Buck Showalter #11 of the New York Mets watches the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 09, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
New York right-hander Chris Bassitt previously took aim at the MLB, arguing it was taking the safety of its players for granted after three Mets players were hit by pitches last Tuesday.
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“It’s extremely annoying to see your teammates constantly get hit, and if you get hit by certain pitches it is what it is, but to get hit in the head the amount that we’re getting hit is unbelievable,” Bassitt told reporters after the game, via SNY.
The Mets are off to a roaring start despite their complaints about unfair treatment and batters getting hit. They lead the NL East with a record of 17-8.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
