Pirates manager Don Kelly, pitcher Chris Devenski suspended by MLB for incident on Saturday vs. Reds

TL;DR

MLB has suspended Pirates pitcher Chris Devenski for two games and manager Don Kelly for one game due to an incident involving an intentional pitch at Reds player Sal Stewart. The suspensions follow a disagreement during Saturday's game.

Key points

Chris Devenski suspended for intentionally throwing at Sal Stewart
Don Kelly suspended for one game
Devenski's suspension reduced from three games to two
Incident occurred during Saturday's game against the Reds
Pirates bullpen has worked 143 2/3 innings this season

Mentioned in this story

Chris DevenskiDon KellySal StewartKristopher NegrónYohan RamirezPaul Skenes

Pittsburgh PiratesCincinnati Reds

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 10: Manager Don Kelly #12 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on April 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Pirates will be down pitcher Chris Devenski for the first two games of the Diamondbacks series and manager Don Kelly for one after Major League Baseball suspended Devenski for intentionally throwing at Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart in the seventh inning of Saturday’s game against the Reds. The league announced the moves, which are accompanied by undisclosed fines, on Tuesday. Devenski was originally suspended for three games, but a settlement was reached to knock it down to two. Kelly will still be suspended for Tuesday’s game, and bench coach Kristopher Negrón will be the manager. This all started over disagreement when Sal Stewert stepped outside of the box and messed with the timing of Devenski. There was some arguing going on between the two then Devenski went inside on a pitch and Stewert voiced his frustration over that. It was then determined by crew chief Alan Porter that Devenski did it on purpose. The veteran pitcher got replaced by who got Stewert to fly out to right field. Personally, I don’t think Devenski did that on purpose at all. This is his 11th season in the Majors and there has been no history of him being a dirty pitcher or a pitcher who likes to throw at batters. Devenski said after the game that he had no intentions of throwing at Stewert and that it was just a pitch that missed the spot. Stewart struggled vs the Pirates pitching going 0-13 in the series which also resulted in Cincinnati getting swept. The timing of this could be a big deal especially with how much the Bucs have been using their bullpen to start the season. Through 35 games, Pirates relievers had worked 143 2/3 innings, which is the sixth-most in MLB. Kelly being suspended is not a massive deal for the team since he is only slated to miss Tuesday night’s game vs the Arizona Diamondbacks. Kelly will be back to his managing duties Wednesday night with set to pitch.

Q&A

Why was Chris Devenski suspended by MLB?

Chris Devenski was suspended for intentionally throwing at Cincinnati's Sal Stewart during a game, which was deemed intentional by the crew chief.

How long is Don Kelly's suspension from managing the Pirates?

Don Kelly is suspended for one game and will miss the Pirates' Tuesday night game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

What impact do the suspensions have on the Pirates' bullpen usage?

The suspensions come at a crucial time as the Pirates' bullpen has already logged the sixth-most innings in MLB, potentially straining their pitching resources.