Reds' Nick Castellanos Suspended 2 Games, Fined After Brawl vs. Cardinals

Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIApril 5, 2021

CINCINNATI, OHIO - APRIL 03: Nick Castellanos #2 of the Cincinnati Reds slides safely into home base against Jake Woodford #40 of the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning at Great American Ball Park on April 03, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos has been suspended two games by Major League Baseball after he was ejected following a bench-clearing brawl between the Reds and St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.

Per Jon Heyman of MLB Network and WFAN Sports Radio, Castellanos is appealing the decision.

The 29-year-old was fined as well, per Jessica Kleinschmidt of NBC Sports Bay Area:

Jessica Kleinschmidt @KleinschmidtJD
Castellanos also received an undisclosed fine for “his aggressive actions and for instigating a benches-clearing incident.”

Players who also received undisclosed fines include Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, third baseman Nolan Arenado and relief pitcher Jordan Hicks, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Reds infielder Eugenio Suarez and outfielder Jesse Winker were fined as well.

Castellanos flexed and yelled over Cardinals relief pitcher Jake Woodford after scoring on a wild pitch. Molina ran up from behind and pushed Castellanos, and the two benches and bullpens cleared.

Bally Sports Cincinnati @BallySportsCIN
The Reds' and Cardinals' dugouts have emptied after Nick Castellanos scores on a wild pitch. pic.twitter.com/M8sSctUjbo

Numerous events led to that moment, as Derrick S. Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explained Saturday:

Derrick S. Goold @dgoold
Bringing the heat back to #Cardinals #Reds:<br><br>Game 1 -- Castellanos has a bat flip in a loss.<br>Game 2 -- Castellanos HBP from Woodford, scores on WP, flexes like WWF.<br>Game 3 -- Stay tuned. https://t.co/qJf4erjQoD

Joel Sherman of the New York Post and MLB Network provided his take:

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Joel Sherman @Joelsherman1
MLB suspended #Reds Nicholas Castellanos 2 games. #StLCards Jake Woodford wasn't even fined. Understand hard to read intent, but seemed Woodford hit Castellanos on purpose. So dangerous act goes unpunished and the reactive, non-contact gestures are punished #Wrong

The Reds-Cardinals series finished Sunday with no further incident in the rubber match, which Cincinnati won 12-1 to take two of three from the Redbirds.

After the game Saturday, reporters asked crew chief Jim Reynolds why Castellanos was ejected (per C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic).

"Because we felt that he was, after sliding into home, he re-engaged the pitcher in unnecessary fashion and that’s why he was ejected," Reynolds said.

Asked why Molina didn't get ejected, he responded: "Because sometimes contact happens between players and umpires that is not aggressive. That is why he was not ejected."

Castellanos is on fire to start 2021, hitting .545 with two home runs and five RBI.

With his suspension under appeal, he should be in the lineup for the Reds' home game Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.