Blue Jays RHP Aaron Sanchez, manager John Gibbons suspended
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Aaron Sanchez and manager John Gibbons have been suspended by Major League Baseball due to their actions in Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals, the league announced Tuesday.
Sanchez has been suspended for three games for intentionally throwing at Royals infielder Alcides Escobar with warnings already in place during the eighth inning of Toronto's 5-2 win Sunday. He was also fined an undisclosed amount by the league.
Sanchez says he has appealed the suspension because he doesn't want to miss any games against the New York Yankees this weekend, according to John Lott of the National Post.
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Gibbons received a one-game suspension by the league Tuesday for returning to the field from the clubhouse in defense of Sanchez, after having already been ejected from the game.
Toronto's 53-year-old manager was ejected after arguing in the seventh inning with home plate umpire Jim Wolf, who did not eject Royals reliever Ryan Madson after he hit Blue Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki on the wrist with a warning already in place.
Gibbons returned to the field in the eighth inning in response to the benches-clearing mob that ensued from Sanchez's beaning of Escobar. He is the first Blue Jays manager to be suspended since Carlos Tosca in September 2003.
Gibbons' suspension will likely be served during Tuesday night's game against the Minnesota Twins.
Sanchez is 6-4 with a 3.44 ERA in 70.2 innings this season.
- Kayla Lombardo
