June 22 (UPI) -- Toronto Blue Jays rookie right-hander Alek Manoah was suspended five games and issued a fine for throwing at Baltimore Orioles third baseman Maikel Franco over the weekend and sparking a benches-clearing altercation.
MLB also announced that Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo received a one-game suspension. Montoyo served the ban Tuesday when his team played against the Miami Marlins, while Manoah opted to appeal his suspension.
Manoah was ejected from Saturday's game against the Orioles for hitting Franco with a pitch after giving up back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning. Manoah plunked Franco on his left shoulder on the first pitch of the at-bat, triggering the benches and bullpens to empty.
The umpires held a brief meeting before tossing Manoah from the game.
"I tried to get that fastball in, and it slipped away," Manoah said following the contest. "I was confused by [Franco's] reaction. I was questioning, 'What's going on? What's wrong?' Those were my hand gestures as I was walking toward him. I didn't understand the frustration there."
Manoah has a 1-0 record and 4.18 ERA over five starts for the Blue Jays this season. The 23-year-old has notched 27 strikeouts to nine walks in the 2021 campaign.