MLB Hands Out Suspensions to Nationals Pitchers Cade Cavalli, Miles Mikolas
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Days after the benches-clearing brawl between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, Major League Baseball announced punishments for players involved.
Per MLB.com, Cade Cavalli was suspended seven games and Miles Mikolas was suspended for five. They were the only Nationals players affected. On the other side, first baseman Willson Contreras and outfielder Nate Eaton were suspended seven and three games, respectively. All four have also been given undisclosed fines. It's not clear whether any of the players are going to appeal, so if they don't, the suspensions will begin on Friday.
Regardless of whether there is an appeal or not, Cavalli is going to miss his next start. But there is a chance Mikolas could be on the mound for his next scheduled appearance, depending on what the decision would be.
Cade Cavalli Will Have to Miss Turn in Rotation
While Washington stated they weren't going to punish Cavalli for his role in the incident with Boston, there was always a chance that the MLB would step in and levy a suspension. And with it being set at seven games, it appears like the right-hander is going to miss his next start, which was scheduled for July 6 at home against the Houston Astros.
That is going to be a blow for the Nationals. Their relief staff has pitched more innings than any bullpen unit across the majors this season, so the fact their ace is likely to miss a key start before the All-Star break is not the best timing as they try to position themselves in the playoff race.
It will be interesting to see whether Cavalli appeals or not. He apologized for using the word "boy" during his comments to Contreras, and he stated their was no ill intent behind it. But he also said he felt badly about how that could have been perceived, so he might just accept this punishment as is.
Miles Mikolas Could Make Scheduled Start If Suspension Gets Reduced
As for Mikolas, his next scheduled appearance is set to come on July 5, which would be the finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Mikolas' role in the brawl was a notable one since he and Eaton were pushing and shoving off to the side. That skirmish resulted in Eaton getting pushed to the ground, so it's not clear whether Mikolas would win an appeal or not. However, if it does get reduced down from five games, then there's a chance he could be on the mound against the Pirates.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai