MLB hands Cavalli, Contreras 7-game suspensions

Washington Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli and Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras each have been suspended seven games for their roles in a benches-clearing brawl at Fenway Park on Tuesday night, Major League Baseball said Thursday. In addition, Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas received a five-game suspension, and Red Sox outfielder Nate Eaton got a three-game ban. Each player was also fined an undisclosed amount. It wasn't immediately known if any of the players would appeal. If they don't, the suspensions will begin Friday. Cavalli shouted at Contreras after striking him out looking with a full-count pitch in the fourth inning of the Nationals' 8-1 victory that night, saying to him, "Sit down, boy." The term "boy" has a racist history in the United States. Contreras, who is Venezuelan, demurred when asked after the game if he felt there was a racial component to Cavalli's word choice, adding that he plans to "let MLB handle that." A few words were exchanged after the initial incident, and Contreras charged the mound. He was stopped before he got to the pitcher but tried to throw his helmet over a group of players at Cavalli. Contreras, Boston interim manager Chad Tracy, Eaton and Mikolas were all ejected. Cavalli, who was not ejected, apologized Wednesday. "I'm extremely torn up about the way that things were perceived," he said. "Obviously, there was no ill intention behind that. "My teammates know me, my family knows me, this organization knows me. I couldn't sleep because of it. It hurt my heart, knowing that if there's a 13-year-old Black kid in D.C. that sees that -- that looked up to me and thinks that he perceived it in a way that wasn't intended the way that it came out, and then he's not looking up to me anymore -- that hurts my heart." Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.