Pirates reliever Dennis Santana could be facing some heavy discipline from Major League Baseball come Friday.
During the second game of a split doubleheader with the Tigers, Santana was captured on video appearing to take a swing at a fan while out in the bullpen before ultimately being ushered away by Pirates players and team staff.
According to The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen, the fan involved would later be ejected while Santana remained in the game and even pitched in the ninth inning before the game went into a rain delay. When play resumed, David Bednar took over for Santana while the Pirates went on to win in 10 innings, avoiding a series sweep and splitting the doubleheader.
It’s unclear what the fan said, however, there is precedent set when it comes to players getting physical with fans. In 2023, Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon was suspended five games (later reduced to four) and fined an undisclosed amount for grabbing a fan by their shirt and attempting to throw a punch.
