Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon has been suspended for four games after an altercation with a fan on Opening Day last week.
Rendon was seen grabbing a fan during the Angels' 2-1 loss to Oakland Athletics, with the MLB star convinced he was called a "b****" by the spectator. The altercation was filmed by another fan close by, and Rendon later apologised for his actions.
The Angels star was originally suspended five for games, but after an appeal by Rendon for the suspension it was then reduced to four by Major League Baseball. It's been a good start to the season for the Angels, but one that Rendon will want to do over.
The footage appeared to show Rendon clenching the jersey of a fan in the crowd, with the MLB star shouting: "What did you say? Yeah, you called me a b****, yeah you did mother f*****."
The fan was adamant that no harsh words were exchanged, and although it wasn't a good reaction from Rendon and he has now been suspended accordingly for his unprofessional actions.
"It sucked," Rendon said on Monday as he addressed the situation. "My emotions got the best of me. I'm usually pretty good about interacting with fans … have fun with it. But the gentleman [and I], we spoke on the phone, and we both apologised about what had happened. And so we're both ready to move forward."
Rendon reportedly tried to arrange a meeting with the fan face-to-face after the game to apologise, but instead later contacted him by phone as the spectator had already left the stadium. The situation is said to be behind Rendon and the Angels organisation, according to manager Phil Nevin.
"He's remorseful for everything that happened," Nevin said. "This doesn’t at all change how I feel about him as a person. … He's a great leader on our team and he has accepted responsibility as a good leader."
The Angels have bounced back after losing 2-1 on Opening Day, and are now joint-first in AL West with a record of 3-1. The Tampa Bay Rays and the Minnesota Twins remain the only unbeaten MLB sides, while World Series finalists Philadelphia Phillies are the only team yet to secure a single win.
