Sal Stewart Was Right, MLB Takes Hard Stance on Chris Devenski-Reds Incident

Over the weekend, the Cincinnati Reds were swept by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the series didn't end without some drama.

During the second game of the series, the Pirates led the Reds by nine runs in the seventh inning. Sal Stewart called time after Chris Devenski tried to quick pitch him, and Devenski seemed to take exception, throwing the next pitch at Stewart. Stewart was adamant that it was intentional, and the umpires opted to eject Devenski from the game.

The Pirates and their fans argued that this wasn't intentional, but it seemed pretty clear that it was. The umpires believed so. On Tuesday, the MLB backed the umpires up by fining Devenski and suspending him for three games, per MLB insider Bob Nightengale.

"Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Chris Devenski receives three-game suspension and is fined for throwing at Sal Stewart of the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday and manager Don Kelly is suspended one game and will miss tonight’s game vs. Arizona," Nightengale wrote in a post to X on Tuesday.

Shortly after the initial suspension, MLB reduced it to 2 games.

"Devenski’s suspension has now been reduced to 2 games beginning tonight vs Diamondbacks," Nightengale wrote in a post to X shortly after the initial suspension.

Chris Devenski's Suspension Shows Sal Stewart Was Right

Apr 29, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Chris Devenski (57) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals during the seventh inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

This suspension shows that Stewart was right. Devenski didn't try to argue much during the game. Rather than causing a scene after being ejected, he seemed to accept his fate, which seems to show that it was his intention to drill the Reds rookie.

Stewart was asked if any words were exchanged between him and Devenski before the altercation and he took a fairly hard stance on the situation.

"No, no one said anything," Stewart said after the game. "I mean, the umpires did. It was pretty blatantly obvious. So I'm glad the umpires took care of it. But I mean, I really have no idea."

Stewart was hammered fairly hard by the Pirates media. They seemed to think that the incident was blown out of proportion by the Reds' rookie, but it seems fairly clear that the incident was intentional. The umpires in the game believed it. The league believes it. Stewart was right.

Make sure you bookmark Cincinnati Reds Talk for the latest news, exclusive interviews, and daily coverage of the Cincinnati Reds! Follow Cincinnati Reds OnSI on Twitter/X: @RedsTalkSI. Like Our Cincinnati Reds On SI Facebook Page. Follow Cincinnati Reds On SI on Instagram.

Add us as a preferred source on Google