MLB suspended Cubs reliever Ryan Tepera three games Thursday after he threw a pitch behind Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff on Tuesday. Tepera, who also was fined, will appeal the suspension.
Manager David Ross received a one-game suspension and will serve it Friday, when the Cubs host the Braves. Bench coach Andy Green will serve as interim manager.
Woodruff hit catcher Willson Contreras with a pitch in the fourth inning Tuesday, the fourth time Contreras has been hit by a Brewers pitcher this season, including once in the head April 6. Contreras also was hit Monday. He exacted revenge by hitting a go-ahead, two-run homer in the 3-2 victory Tuesday.
Contreras has said he understands that teams aren’t trying to hit him, but things boiled over after he was hit so often. MLB concluded that Tepera’s pitch behind -Woodruff was intentional, leading to the suspension.
“Obviously, you don’t want tempers to flare,” Ross said Wednesday. “Everybody’s out here doing their best, and like Willson said, I don’t think anything’s been intentional on either side. I think that things do happen, but the frustration does build after a while and at some point you’re going to have enough. He had enough and was able to exert the frustration in the right way last night, which really helped us.”
