Major League Baseball

Report: Rangers RP 'lost' barfight

Published Jul. 28, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

According to reports, Texas Rangers reliever Tanner Scheppers "lost a barfight" early Friday morning in Cleveland.

Despite Scheppers telling reporters that he suffered a bruised left eye and cuts on his face because of a sucker-punch after having dinner Thursday night in Cleveland, Clevescene.com reports a witness said the incident actually happened at 2:30 a.m., when Scheppers, a 6-foot-4 righthander, lost a fight he allegedly instigated.

The report claims the witness said Scheppers was with teammates Joe Nathan and A.J. Pierzynski and "a bunch of girls." According to the witness, Scheppers was a "verbal instigator" in the fight, jawing back and forth with the alleged puncher for a few minutes before things escalated.

“He lost a bar fight,” the witness told Clevescene.com on Sunday morning. “He had 10 chances to walk away before this happened.”

The Dallas Morning News released a statement from Cleveland Police about the incident on Sunday:

“The preliminary investigation reveals that on Friday, July 26, at approximately 2:30 a.m. Texas Ranger pitcher Tanner Scheppers was involved in a physical altercation at Panini’s Bar located on W. 6th Street. Further investigation reveals that the altercation was called in by Downtown Alliance workers and that Third District officers responded to the scene to investigate. Once on scene officers attempted to get information from Scheppers for a report however, he refused to provide information and refused to make a police report. Further, officers called for EMS and he refused medical attention and EMS was disregarded. The officers then conveyed Scheppers and another male to the Rangers' team hotel.”

Scheppers, 26, has thrown 46 2/3 innings of relief this season with a 1.74 ERA.