Rangers’ Rougned Odor to serve seven-game suspension

Rougned Odor will begin serving a seven-game suspension Friday after major league baseball announced its ruling Thursday.

The league reduced its suspension from eight games, which was initially announced after Odor punched the Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista on May 15. Odor appealed the decision and has continued to play since the fracas. The league heard the appeal Tuesday.

Odor is batting .262 this season with 11 doubles, seven home runs and 25 RBIs.

Elvis Andrus was suspended one game for his part in the incident, which started when Bautista was hit by a pitch and later slid late into second base. Odor took issue with the slide and pushed Bautista before punching him in the face. Odor was also fined $5,000.

It’s the Rangers’ first non-drug related suspension since Ian Kinsler received one game for excessive celebration after a home run on Sept. 26, 2010. That suspension was overturned on appeal.

The Rangers will have to play one short on the 25-man active roster during the suspension.

Jurickson Profar will be called up from Triple A Round Rock to fill the void while Odor is out. Profar is hitting .284 with five homers, nine doubles and 26 RBI.

This story was originally published May 26, 2016 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Rangers’ Rougned Odor to serve seven-game suspension."