Houston Astros relief pitcher Hector Neris will not be suspended following Julio Rodriguez incident according to MLB Insider

According to MLB Insider Chandler Rome, Houston Astors relief pitcher Hector Neris will not receive a suspension following an MLB investigation. After an incident between the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners late in the regular season, Neris was in the middle of a controversy suggesting that he directed homophobic slurs at Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez.

"MLB's investigation into the Astros-Mariners benches-clearing incident is over. Hector Neris was fined, but will not be suspended" - @Chandler_Rome

However, upon further investigations into the matter, it has been determined that Hector Neris will indeed not be suspended for the Astros postseason matchup against the Minnesota Twins.

That being said, Neris will be required to pay a fine for his actions. However, the lack of suspension will surely be a sigh of relief for the Astros, who open their 2023 postseason on Saturday.

Houston Astros General Manager Dana Brown announced Thursday that the 34-year-old relief pitcher will not be facing any suspension, making him eligible to pitch for the club during the first game of their American League Division Series against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.

"Astros general manager Dana Brown said Hector Neris was assessed a fine, but said “I don’t think he’s going to get suspended” for his actions in Seattle toward Julio Rodríguez" - @Chandler_Rome

For many, the lack of suspension was the right decision by the club, as many Spanish-speaking fans have pointed out that Neris did not say anything homophobic. Houston fans who witnessed the incident said that while Neris did use aggressive, profane language directed at Julio Rodriguez, it was not homophobic.

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Although Hector Neris has not received a suspension, he has done little to help the club's reputation with certain fans

After winning the World Series last season, some believed that the Houston Astros had exercised their "demons" and proved that they could win it all without cheating. If somehow you missed the last decade of baseball, the Houston Astros were at the forefront of the 2017 sign-stealing scandal that helped the club win its first World Series title.

Although many members of the organization that were involved with the team have since been removed or left the Astros, some die-hards have yet to forgive the franchise for the scandal. Once Hector Neris' alleged homophobic slurs came to light, it brought up many ill feelings towards the team.