Angels Infielder Handed Hefty Suspension For Altercation With Fan

It's not quite the way one wants to start the season. On Opening Day, Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon got into an altercation with a fan, and after reviewing the video evidence, the Commissioner's Office has handed down a five-game suspension.

Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon has been suspended five games and fined an undisclosed amount, MLB announced. pic.twitter.com/gUQYL1iZn2

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) April 3, 2023

The incident occurred after Rendon's hitless debut on Thursday night, when he grabbed an Oakland A's fan's shirt, and took a swing at him. Rendon accused the fan of calling him a "bitch."

Anthony Rendon was on the verge of fighting a fan pic.twitter.com/6AYPvKjn4g

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 31, 2023

Fans will be fans, but this is certainly no way for a major leaguer to react, no matter what a fan called him.  

Assuming the suspension is without pay, that will cost the infielder $1.17M due to his excessively bloated $38M salary this season. That's no chump change. There'll also be a fine from MLB on top of it. 

Rendon, whose seven-year, $245 million contract has been an outright disaster since the Angels signed him in 2020, was also suspended five games last season for his role in a brawl with the Seattle Mariners while his wrist was in a cast. He missed all but 47 games last year and only got into 58 games in his first full year with the Angels in 2021.