Dodgers News: Manny Machado Fined for Jesus Aguilar Incident

If I had a dollar for every time I have been asked if Manny Machado was a dirty player in the last few days – I could pay the fine for him. Nevertheless, the fine I am referring to is the one that Machado is on the hook for after running over/kicking first baseman Jesus Aguilar. This incident occurred in game four.

Machado will in fact be fined by Major League Baseball, but not suspended. This news was announced on Thursday.

MLB has fined Manny Machado an undisclosed amount for the way he ran into Jesus Aguilar last night, sources tell The Athletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 17, 2018

What Got Machado Fined?

For those that did not see the play live – and if you have been living under a rock – here it is.

Manny Machado kicked Jesús Aguilar. Many #takes will follow. pic.twitter.com/uMopidt8IJ

— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) October 17, 2018

Now, one can make the case that Aguilar oddly did not remove his leg like a first baseman normally does. In fact, established members of the baseball community have said that Machado was not in the wrong.

Everyone wants to make #Dodgers SS Manny Machado out to be a villain but I disagree. I believe #Brewers 1B Jesus Aguilar provoked Machado by intentionally blocking half of the base. Manny intentionally kicked at Aguilar but in response to the 1B positioning on the bag. pic.twitter.com/5UJl27SX3X

— Steve Phillips (@StevePhillipsGM) October 17, 2018

“I was trying to get over him and hit his foot,” Machado said in response. “If that’s dirty, that’s dirty. I don’t know. Call it what you want.”

No matter which side of this debate that you sit – a case can truly be made for either side. It simply was an odd play on all fronts.

Final Word

It seems that the two players have moved on from the incident. The Brewers showed their appreciation for Machado’s ‘effort’ to get over Aguilar’s leg by plunking him in game five. It’s unlikely that this storyline goes any further within this series. That said, Machado will wear this label of being a ‘dirty player’ beyond October of 2018. This is a moment that will be remembered by those around baseball for a long time. When the stage is this bright, and you take a fine from the league for such an act; it’s a poor look. Certainly this is not the brand of Dodger baseball any of us have come to know. Machado likely won’t feel much of a dent financially from this fine – as he stands to sign one of the largest contracts in baseball history in a short amount of time.