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Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton lost new left fielder Tommy Pham against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. Pham will be serving a one-game suspension given to him by Major League Baseball after his actions towards Los Angeles Angels fans on Wednesday.
According to MLB, Pham made inappropriate gestures towards Angels fans during Wednesday's game, reported Los Angeles Times reporter Bill Shaikin.
Reportedly, Pham made a hand-jerking gesture towards the Angels faithful that league offices considered too much. MLB is swift with their rulings when things like this occur, so his suspension comes as no surprise.
Pham's suspension clears the way for Matthew Gorski to make another appearance after the Pirates prospect turned heads in his MLB debut on Thursday.
Pham doesn't carry around the biggest bat in the Pirates' lineup, but his veteran presence provides balance to a young roster. Shelton also needs to find out a way to pick up the defensive slack without him on the field. Pham is missing a game at arguably the worst time.
His team begins a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the most explosive offenses the league has to offer, even without Shohei Ohtani. Even though the suspension is just one game, that is all Los Angeles needs to build momentum and possibly sweep Pittsburgh.
This isn't the first time MLB has suspended Pham. In 2022, he missed three games after slapping then-San Francisco Giant Joc Pederson in the face. According to reports from MLB.com and ESPN, the conflict between the two originated because of a fantasy football disagreement.
Pham's suspensions are head-scratching, but one thing is clear; not having him in the field is a major handicap. The Pittsburgh Pirates will need to find a way to overcome it if they want to win at Dodger Stadium.
