Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman, fined and suspended for two games by Major League Baseball because of his "inappropriate actions" during a game earlier this week, won an appeal and had his suspension reduced to one game on Friday. He will serve his suspension on Friday night when the Pirates host the Boston Red Sox.
Chapman, 36, was ejected during the eighth inning of Monday's contest against the New York Mets when he appeared to argue balls and strikes with home-plate umpire Edwin Moscoso. Here's a look at the incident in question:
Aroldis Chapman has been ejected by Edwin Moscoso pic.twitter.com/nchf1FwnoL
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 16, 2024
It's unclear what, precisely, Chapman said to Moscoso that prompted the ejection or the suspension. "He evidently said something that the umpire did not like," Pirates manager Derek Shelton told reporters after the game.
Chapman's ejection came after a brutal outing. He recorded just one out and surrendered three runs on a walk and a hit. (Chapman technically struck out two batters, but one of them reached because the decisive pitch got away from the catcher.)
On the season, Chapman has amassed a 4.76 ERA (92 ERA+) and a 1.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 5 2/3 innings. He's struck out 11 of the 26 batters he's faced. He's also issued free passes to six of those batters. Chapman, though not the Pirates' regular closer, has even secured a save already this season. It marked the 322nd of his big-league career, good for third among active pitchers.
Chapman signed a one-year pact worth $10.5 million with the Pirates over the offseason. He enjoyed a resurgent 2023 season, posting a 146 ERA+ in 61 appearances split between the Kansas City Royals and the World Series champion Texas Rangers.
The Pirates are off to an 11-8 start this season, putting them a game back in the National League Central.
