CHICAGO -- Four Royals were suspended Saturday morning for their roles in Thursday night's brawl with the White Sox.
Pitcher Yordano Ventura was suspended for seven games, pitcher Edinson Volquez for five, center fielder Lorenzo Cain for two and pitcher Kelvin Herrera for two. Chicago pitchers Chris Sale and Jeff Samardzija each received five-game bans.
Herrera was the only one of the six players not to be ejected Thursday. All six players received undisclosed fines, as did White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers.
Unless appealed, the suspensions begin Sunday, when the Royals and White Sox will resume their rain-dampened series. It is likely that all of the Kansas City players will appeal their punishment.
"We understand that Major League Baseball has to do what they think is fair in situations like this," Royals manager Ned Yost said in a statement. "Now, we just have to wait for the appeals process to play out."
During Thursday's seventh inning, Ventura fielded a comebacker off Adam Eaton's bat. Ventura said Eaton said something to him, to which he responded by jawing back at him on the first-base line. Ventura completed the out, but Eaton walked toward Ventura.
That prompted both benches to rush the field and both bullpens to sprint in from their perches in the outfield, congregating in a scrum around first base. Samardzija repeatedly went after Cain on the outside of the skirmish, Volquez wildly throwing a punch at Samardzija.
Flowers then approached Volquez, who kept his fists up as he backpedaled. After he was ejected, Sale ventured to the Royals' clubhouse, apparently looking for a fight.
Herrera was suspended for the second time in a week, already given a five-game ban for throwing behind Oakland's Brett Lawrie on Sunday. Herrera appealed the suspension and is awaiting word on that one.
Volquez is scheduled to start Sunday's series finale against Chicago.
You can follow Matthew DeFranks on Twitter at @MDeFranks or email him at matthew.defranks@gmail.com.
