When Cincinnati Reds star Joey Votto bumped umpire Chris Conroy during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, it was only a matter of time before Major League Baseball took action.
Now, according to the MLB public relations staff on Twitter, Votto's punishment will cost him one game. The Reds slugger will serve his suspension Friday against the Chicago White Sox:
The incident occurred after Votto struck out against Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole. The 2010 National League MVP was unhappy with the first pitch that was called a strike. After the inning, he slammed his helmet to the ground and said something before Conroy ejected him.
Votto decided to get his money's worth after being thrown out by getting in Conroy's face, bumping his body against the veteran umpire.
The silver lining for Cincinnati is that Votto will sit out only one game. The Reds are off to an OK start, sporting a 14-14 record entering play Friday, and are seven games behind St. Louis in the National League Central.
Votto is healthy for the first time since 2013, and he is playing like his old self again. The 31-year-old has already surpassed his 2014 home run total (six), with seven in 28 games, and has a .986 OPS. The Reds will miss his bat against the White Sox, but at least it won't be a prolonged absence.
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