Cardinals' Miles Mikolas Suspended 5 Games for Throwing at Ian Happ; Oli Marmol Out 1

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas has been suspended five games for throwing at Cubs outfielder Ian Happ in Thursday's 10-3 loss to Chicago, according to ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol was also given an automatic one-game suspension.

In the top of the first inning on Thursday, Happ swung and missed at a 2-0 pitch from Mikolas and his follow through hit Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras in the head, causing him to bleed.

Contreras, who was removed from the game, hugged Happ before walking off the field, and everything seemed fine between the two former Cubs teammates. That was until Mikolas took the mound again for his next pitch.

The veteran appeared to retaliate in support of his catcher, plunking Happ on the backside on a 3-1 count, resulting in an ejection.

Mikolas told reporters of the incident after the game:

"In any circumstance, I've got Willson's back; he's my catcher, and I consider him a really good friend now. Any single one of these guys in this locker room, I go to bat for them 100 percent. That's something we as a team believe in, always having each other's backs. I guess that's what the umpires thought I was doing [purposefully hitting Happ], and it's unfortunate there was no warning or anything."

Marmol, who was also ejected, added that he thought the umpires should have first issued a warning.

"If the explanation was that there was intent behind the first pitch, then I feel like there should have been a warning after that first pitch, and it could have saved everybody a lot of trouble," Marmol said.

Mikolas, like much of the St. Louis roster, has had a rough season, posting a 6-6 record with a 4.38 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 87 strikeouts in 127.1 innings across 23 starts. He won't be eligible to return until an Aug. 3 matchup against the Minnesota Twins.

The 34-year-old's absence won't have any major ripple effects for the Cardinals, which are expected to be sellers ahead of the Aug. 1 trade deadline as they are well out of a playoff spot with a 46-58 record, sitting fourth in the National League Central.