Suspension over, Tigers' Framber Valdez eager to move forward
Framber Valdez said he doesn't feel the need to alter his setup or mechanics in the wake of Boston's grip-stealing.
New York – The mission for Framber Valdez now is to move forward. His five-game suspension ended Tuesday and the Tigers' $115 million lefty will return to the rotation against the Mets Wednesday night. But there’s still some scar tissue from the incident he’s trying to break through.
“Like I said after that game, I don’t think it was fair,” Valdez said through interpreter Carlos Guillen Tuesday. Major League Baseball ruled that Valdez intentionally threw at Boston’s Trevor Story after he’d given up back-to-back homers on May 5. Benches cleared but no punches or even shoves were thrown.
Valdez left the game without protest but later wondered why home plate umpire Adam Beck didn’t give him a warning prior to ejecting him. The next day, the league suspended him for five games and manager AJ Hinch for one. “I felt pretty bad,” Valdez said.
“I had to be away. I was not allowed to be in the clubhouse during the games. I felt terrible.