ARLINGTON, Texas – Minnesota Twins pitcher Scott Diamond was given a six-game suspension and undisclosed fine by Major League Baseball for throwing near the head of the Texas Rangers’ Josh Hamilton in Thursday’s game.
Diamond threw a pitch that went behind Hamilton’s head in the bottom of the third inning, prompting an immediate ejection from home plate umpire Wally Bell.
Twins manager was also ejected for arguing the dismissal, which came without prior warnings to both teams. An umpire can eject a pitcher without warning if he believes a pitch has been aimed at a batter’s head.
In the top of the third inning, Rangers pitcher Roy Oswalt hit the Twins’ Joe Mauer in the back. Mauer doubled off Oswalt in the first inning. Oswalt said afterwards he did not intend to hit Mauer and simply lost control of a pitch.
Diamond’s suspension, announced by MLB senior vice president Joe Garagiola Jr., was to begin during Friday’s game in Texas. However, Diamond has filed an appeal and the suspension will be on hold until the appeal process has run its course.
Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire
