Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez punched Angels slugger Jorge Soler with the baseball during Tuesday’s benches-clearing brawl in Anaheim.
Soler charged Lopez after a high pitch to ignite the brawl, and Lopez, the righty starter, hit Soler in the helmet and face with the baseball in a punching action.
“It’s just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,” López said through a translator, per MLB.com. “On my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So, again, it’s just a shame.”
Batters make the conscious decision to drop their bats and not use it as a weapon during brawls, but not much focus is usually given to what the pitcher can do with the ball.
Lopez showed that it indeed can be used as a weapon, getting in a good blow against Soler after the slugger charged him in the fifth inning Tuesday.
Atlanta’s starter fired a high pitch that went off his catcher’s glove and to the backstop, with Soler just moving his knees and not even backing away from the plate.
Soler stood in the same spot in the box after the pitch, which included the runner on first base advancing on a wild pitch.
He eventually walked toward Lopez slowly, with the pitcher holding his hands, before charging him to galvanize the ruckus.
“I asked him if everything was OK and the answer he gave me, I didn’t like it,” Soler said via an interpreter, per MLB.com. “That’s why I went out there.”
Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez (40) winds up to hit the Angels’ Jorge Soler during a brawl on April 7, 2026. @JomboyMedia/X Braves starter Reynaldo Lopez (40) hits the Angels’ Jorge Soler with a baseball during a brawl on April 7, 2026. @JomboyMedia/X Soler attempted to connect with several punches that Lopez seemingly avoided, and when Soler went too far while throwing a right and ducked his head, Lopez countered with a baseball to the dome.
Lopez then backed away while several Braves teammates tackled Soler.
It’s possible both will receive suspensions for their actions.
“Obviously, I have good numbers against him,” Soler said, according to MLB.com.
“After the home run and getting hit by a pitch after that, and then he missed way too high and close to my head. At this level, you can’t miss like that.”
Angels manager Kurt Suzuki had no issues with Soler’s reaction.
“I don’t blame Jorge one bit,” Suzuki said, per MLB.com. “You get thrown at your head, you have a family, a career. It’s dangerous. I know it happens. But if you ask any hitter and a ball gets thrown near their head, especially after hitting a homer, it’s not good.”
