Rays’ Edwin Uceta suspended 3 games for Nick Castellanos HBP

Tampa Bay Rays reliever Edwin Uceta was suspended three games and fined an undisclosed amount by Major League Baseball for throwing at Nick Castellanos during Tuesday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

MLB also announced that Rays manager Kevin Cash has been suspended one game. It was unclear as of Wednesday afternoon whether Uceta will appeal the suspension.

Uceta was ejected in the eighth inning Tuesday after hitting Castellanos with a 96 mph pitch. The hard-throwing right-hander said he did not plunk Castellanos on purpose, claiming he threw a changeup, but the Phillies did not believe Uceta.

“I had an overwhelming sense that I was about to get drilled,” Castellanos said. “We all just got a sense of what it was — he was just [ticked] off that he got hit around and his ERA shot through the roof.”

Uceta had surrendered a tiebreaking two-run double earlier in the inning to pinch hitter Cal Stevenson, then gave up a Buddy Kennedy RBI single, a two-run Trea Turner homer and a Bryce Harper double before Castellanos stepped to the plate. Uceta’s pitch hit Castellanos on the hip, which caused both benches and bullpens to empty and the players to gather on the infield grass.

If Uceta does not file an appeal, his suspension would begin with Wednesday’s three-game series finale in Philadelphia.

Uceta, 26, is 2-0 with a 1.49 ERA and two saves in 25 appearances this season, his first with the Rays. He entered Tuesday’s game with a 0.79 ERA.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.