Astros' Marisnick appeals 2 game-suspension for Lucroy collision

HOUSTON – Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick appealed his two-game suspension by Major League Baseball for Sunday's home plate collision with Los Angeles Angels catcher Jonathan Lucroy, KPRC2 Sports has learned.

The game was tied 10-10 in the bottom of the eighth inning with the bases loaded and one out for the Astros when George Springer lifted a fly ball to right field. Marisnick tagged up from third base and right fielder Kole Calhoun's throw home was bobbled by Lucroy just in front of home plate before Marisnick collided full speed with Lucroy.

The play earned Marisnick a two-game suspension and an undisclosed fine.

"After thoroughly reviewing the play from all angles, I have concluded that Jake’s actions warrant discipline. While I do not believe that Jake intended to injure Jonathan, the contact he initiated in his attempt to score violated Official Baseball Rule 6.01(i), which is designed to protect catchers from precisely this type of collision," Joe Torre, Chief Baseball Officer of Major League Baseball, said,

Marisnick appealed the suspension Thursday and will go through the appeal process before a decision is made.

If he didn't appeal, then the suspension would have gone into effect Thursday.

The Astros return to action after the All-Star break with a four-game series against the Texas Rangers that begins Thursday in Arlington.

Marisnick's Astros teammates on Sunday defended him in the comments and on social media.

"First and foremost. I hope he's OK," said Marisnick after the game. "That was a bad play. For me, I was running and I see him take a step kind of up the line like he's going to drop and go back so I tried to take an instep and slide head first on the inside corner. And I watched the play again and it looks...he just drops right in front of me and once I kind of made a decision it was too late."

 

 

"And it was a bad play and I hope he's OK," he said.

Lucroy appeared to be knocked unconscious momentarily after the contact and Marisnick immediately went over to him to check on him knowing the violence of their collision. Lucroy was bleeding from the nose and was taken off the field in a cart to be checked for a concussion. 

Marisnick was ruled safe on the play by the home plate umpire, but following a video review, Marisnick was ruled out. 

Angels manager and former Astros catcher Brad Ausmus thought a suspension was in order for Marisnick.

"It certainly didn't look like a clean play," said Ausmus. "I don't know what actually happened. It looked like Marisnick took a step to the left and bowled into him with his arm up. The call was right."

"Major League Baseball should probably take a look at it and consider some type of suspension, quite frankly," he said.

"I don't fault Jake, because he wasn't hunting him, he wasn't going after him," Astros manager A.J. Hinch, also a former major league catcher, said. "It’s difficult in that one to three-foot circle where you're trying to figure out, going in full speed, what's going to happen. Just turned out to be an ugly play."