Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez suspended 6 games, manager A.J. Hinch 1 game after ejection, benches-clearing dispute in loss to Red Sox

Framber Valdez’s ejection on Tuesday night is going to cost him.

Major League Baseball hit the Detroit Tigers starter with a six-game suspension and an undisclosed fine on Wednesday. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch was assessed a one-game suspension and an undisclosed fine for Valdez’s actions, too. Hinch will serve his suspension on Wednesday night.

It’s unclear if Valdez is going to appeal his suspension. If he does not, it will also start on Wednesday night. He would then be eligible to return on May 14 for a matchup with the New York Mets.

Valdez, however, did not see the suspension coming.

“I do not expect to get suspended,” Valdez said on Tuesday night, via The Athletic. “If it would have been on purpose, I would have gone towards the hitter, saying something, yelling something, threatening them or something like that, which didn’t happen. I was just calm, just staying out of the situation. I let the benches clear, and nothing happened. I even left the field in a quiet way, because, of course, it was not on purpose.”

Valdez was thrown out of the Tigers’ 10-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night after he drilled Trevor Story in the shoulder. That led to his immediate ejection, and sparked a benches-clearing incident.

The benches-clearing moment didn’t really lead to much. Story was held back and kept away from Valdez, and it ended up being a bunch of players standing around before the two sides were eventually separated. When it comes to benches-clearing incidents, this one was undoubtedly on the tame end, as there was no brawl whatsoever.