MLB takes action after Padres closer lights up Ohtani with triple-digit heater

The tension that had been simmering between the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers finally boiled over Thursday night at Dodger Stadium — and the MLB wasted very little time responding. Following the benches-clearing incident that took place in the finale of a heated four-game set, the league has announced disciplinary actions for several key figures involved in the chaos.

Padres closer Robert Suarez has been suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount for what MLB determined was the intentional plunking of Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani with a 100 mph fastball. Suarez, who has maintained his innocence, is appealing the suspension and remains eligible to pitch during the process.

MLB suspends Padres’ Suarez and managers after fireworks in Dodgers series finale

Meanwhile, both managers — Mike Shildt of the Padres and Dave Roberts of the Dodgers — were hit with one-game suspensions for what the league called "unsportsmanlike conduct and for contributing to inciting the benches-clearing incident."

The managers' discipline stems from a fiery sequence in the top of the ninth inning, when Dodgers rookie Jack Little, making his MLB debut, hit Fernando Tatis Jr. on the right hand with a 93-mph fastball. The pitch marked the second time Tatis had been hit in the series, and the third time within the past nine days.

As Tatis dropped his bat and winced in pain, Shildt immediately stormed out of the dugout — not just to check on his star, but to exchange words with Roberts. That exchange escalated quickly. Roberts met Shildt near home plate, where the two bumped chests and drew both benches into the fray. 

Both managers were ejected. Tatis was pulled from the game as a precaution, though X-rays later came back negative, providing a much-needed sigh of relief for San Diego.

The benches-clearing incident capped off what had already been an emotionally charged series. While the Padres and Dodgers won't meet again until August, this clash only added more fuel to what is fast becoming one of baseball's most volatile rivalries.