Central STL News

Willson Contreras, first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, received a six-game suspension and an undisclosed fine following his ejection from Monday’s 7-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Major League Baseball announced the disciplinary action on Tuesday, citing Contreras’ conduct after being called out on strikes in the seventh inning.

Contreras was ejected by home-plate umpire Derek Thomas after making comments about the strike zone. The incident escalated as Contreras bumped Thomas, threw his helmet to the ground, tossed his bat backward—striking hitting coach Brant Brown—and scattered a bucket of chewing gum onto the field. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol and bench coach Daniel Descalso intervened during the altercation.

Contreras has appealed the suspension. He played in Tuesday’s 8-3 loss to the Pirates while his appeal is pending. Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations, made the announcement regarding Contreras’ suspension.

This season, Contreras leads the Cardinals with 19 home runs and has a .261 batting average, along with 30 doubles and 72 RBIs. The Cardinals are currently five and a half games behind in the National League Wild Card race and trail the Cincinnati Reds by three games ahead of an upcoming series in Cincinnati.

The 33-year-old is in his third year of a five-year contract worth $87.5 million signed before the 2023 season, earning $18 million this year.

Reflecting on his ejection, Contreras said: “I’m still wondering, to be honest, because I don’t think he had any reason to throw me out,” Contreras said after the game. “I didn’t argue any pitch in any at-bat and I didn’t argue any pitch in my last at-bat. The only thing I said was, ‘Call the pitches for both sides because you are missing for us.’ He threw me out and he had no reason for it. Apparently, he heard something [he thought] I said, and I did not say that.”

Contreras added: “I was just walking back to the dugout with my head down, and I knew that I struck out on a good pitch and I didn’t argue any of the pitches in any of the at-bats because I know he’s a good umpire,” Contreras said. “[The ejection] surprised me because I knew the game was [within one run]. I don’t want to get thrown out in a close game like that.”

Monday marked Contreras’ first ejection this season but ninth overall in his MLB career. Manager Oliver Marmol was also ejected after defending Contreras; it was Marmol’s sixth ejection this season and twenty-first as Cardinals manager.