MLB Suspends Pirates’ Manager and Pitcher
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates head into their next series vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field without two important pieces to their team.
Major League Baseball handed a three-game suspension to Pirates right-handed relief pitcher Chris Devenski and a one-game suspension to Pirates manager Don Kelly for their actions against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on May 2. Both players also earned undisclosed fines.
Devenski managed to get his suspension down to two games, as a result of settlement was reached between him and MLB, but Kelly will serve his one game suspension for the series opener on May 5. Devenski will return for the series finale on May 7.
The Pirates reliever earned the suspension after hitting Reds infielder Sal Stewart with a pitch in the top of the seventh inning.
Chris Devenski has been suspended for two games for this ejection during Saturday's game. He will begin serving his suspension tonight.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 5, 2026
Pirates manager Don Kelly will serve his one-game suspension tonight.pic.twitter.com/7sK2oPokT8
Devenski defended himself after the game and said that he did not intentionally hit Stewart, especially with the Pirates having such a big lead in the eventual 17-7 blowout.
Kelly came out after to talk with first base umpire and crew chief Alan Porter, who ejected Devenski, but did not get ejected and remained in his post the rest of the game.
It is the first time that Kelly has been suspended as Pirates manager and he can serve that suspension for the series opener on May 5 and return for the final two games of the series.
Kelly, like Devenski, can also appeal that suspension and either win it to not miss a game or will serve it later if he loses that appeal.
What Happened Between Devenski and Stewart
Stewart came up to bat to leadoff the top of the seventh inning and before the first pitch, he stepped outside the box for a batter's timeout.
Devenski then threw a 92 mph sinker that went inside and hit Stewart, who tried to jump out of the way and had his helmet fall off in the process. Stewart then let Devenski know he didn't appreciate that pitch and Pirates catcher Henry Davis stepped in to try cool things down between the two.
Porter then tossed Devenski and the Pirates went with right-handed relief pitcher Yohan Ramírez afterwards. This marked the first time that a Pirates player earned an ejection this season.
“Going hard in to start an at bat, I know the guy likes to dive over, that’s about it," Devenski said about the incident. "Just trying to execute my pitch there and I think he took it the wrong way. It is what it is. Hey, I’m not going to back down from anything either.”
Kevin Gorman of the Tribune-Review was the Pirates pool reporter who spoke with Porter afterthe game. Porter told Gorman that the umpires believed Devenski intentionally threw at Stewart that both the batter's timeout and how Devenski reacted to it led to his ejection.
“We had the situation lead up to it with (Devenski) stepping off the rubber and (Stewart) stepping out of the box," Porter said to Gorman. "Still had time and stepped out. After that, (Devenski) stepped up and he fired the pitch and, we believe, threw it at him intentionally. That’s why we ejected him.”
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.