Baseball: Odor gets eight-game ban for Bautista punch - reports

Texas Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor has been slapped with an eight-game ban for the punch on Toronto's Jose Bautista that triggered a mass brawl, several US media reports said Tuesday.

Odor had been bracing for a lengthy ban over the incident, when he slugged Bautista full in the face after the Toronto player slid into him during the eighth inning.

The clash ended up clearing the benches as players from both sides joined in a spectacular brawl.

Bautista, Odor, Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson and Rangers bench coach Steve Buechele were all ejected following the incident.

A second bench clearing fight broke out around 10 minutes after play had resumed when Blue Jays reliever Jesse Chavez hit Texas's Price Fielder.

Toronto eventually won the game 7-6.

Speaking before his suspension, Odor was unrepentant, saying he was acting in self-defense.

"I can tell when someone is coming hard to second base, so I was just trying to protect myself," Odor said.

"I know I'm going to be suspended for a couple of games," he added.

Bautista meanwhile said he was surprised by Odor's reaction.

"He got me pretty good, so I have to give him that," Bautista said. "It takes a little bit bigger man to knock me down."

The ill-feeling between the teams is traced back to last season's American League Divisional Series which the Blue Jays won in five games. Bautista enraged the Rangers players with an emphatic bat flip after a go-ahead home run.

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