PUNISHMENT

Astros’ Yuli Gurriel Suspended After Racial Gesture

But the suspension won’t start until next season.

Houston Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel was suspended for the first five games of the 2018 Major League Baseball season, commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Saturday, after the first baseman made a racial gesture toward Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yu Darvish. But the suspension will not begin until next season, and Gurriel will be permitted to play for the rest of the World Series. Gurriel pulled down the corner of his eyes to make fun of Darvish’s Japanese heritage after hitting a home run off him during game 3 of the World Series. Manfred said Gurriel will privately apologize to the pitcher, and will undergo sensitivity training during the offseason. Manfred said he “wanted the burden to fall primarily on the wrongdoer,” which is why he did not want to punish the entire team by suspending Gurriel during the World Series.