Abreu suspension deferred to 2024

Houston Astros relief pitcher Bryan Abreu was suspended for two games for throwing at Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia in Game 5 of the ALCS on Saturday. Abreu appealed the suspension, so he was active for yesterday’s Game 6, and in fact pitched for Houston.

Today the appeal was heard, and the result is one that will make no one happy. Abreu’s two game suspension was confirmed by the arbitrator. However, instead of starting immediately, with Abreu missing today’s Game 7 of the ALCS and, if the Astros advanced, Game 1 of the World Series, Abreu will instead serve the suspension at the start of the 2024 season.

So the Rangers are unhappy that Abreu was found to have thrown at Garcia, hit him, and yet will not miss any ALCS games. The Astros are unhappy that Abreu is being suspended, even though it will be served next year, because they say he wasn’t throwing at Garcia, and that it would have been dumb to be trying to put Garcia on base intentionally when there was a runner already on, no outs, and the Astros were down just two runs late.