What happened: MLB handed down discipline from Tuesday's bench-clearing incident between the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox, and the penalties landed harder than many expected. Cade Cavalli and Willson Contreras were each suspended seven games, while Miles Mikolas drew five and Nate Eaton three. Cavalli's seven-game ban stands out because he neither threw a punch nor made physical contact during the confrontation.

Why it matters: For a starting pitcher, a seven-game suspension carries an outsized cost: Cavalli forfeits pay across those days while realistically missing only one turn in the rotation, a mismatch the MLBPA is unlikely to accept quietly. The penalty also equals the ban given to Contreras, who charged the mound. That parity over a verbal exchange versus a physical altercation raises questions about how the league is weighing conduct.

What to watch: Cavalli is widely expected to appeal, a process that has historically reduced suspensions of this length. Watch for the MLBPA's response and whether the ban is trimmed before it costs him a start.