MLB Controversies of the Week: Sean Hjelle accused by wife of sexual assault, Tanner Banks’ wife reveals texts threatening his family, and more

There’s never a dull moment in the baseball world, with record-breaking incidents to bench-clearing moments and controversies taking the spotlight both on and off the field. The past week was no less eventful, with several headline-grabbing moments unfolding.

Some of the notable on-field events include the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres' bench-clearing incidents involving two superstars in Shohei Ohtani and Fernando Tatis Jr. Others involve Pirates’ Dennis Santana’s wild video of him swinging at a fan, and Red Sox executive Craig Breslow getting harassed by fans online following Rafael Devers' trade.

Among off-field moments, two attention-grabbing incidents include Phillies pitcher Tanner Banks’ wife receiving threatening messages, and Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle being accused of allegedly abusing his wife.

Let’s dive deep into each of these weekly controversies:

SF Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle accused by wife of abuse

San Francisco Giants pitcher Sean Hjelle has been making headlines following his wife Caroline’s TikTok statement. His wife posted on the social platform how she’d been raising their kids, accusing the player of infidelity and abuse.

However, Hjelle said that they’ve been separated for nearly a year and their divorce proceedings are underway. They are only a sign away from divorce, which would have been finalized by May, but got delayed due to some minor issues.

He will give a statement soon on these accusations after having a word with his legal team. The SF Giants also noted that this is under MLB jurisdiction and they will not comment on it. Investigations are underway.

Phillies’ Tanner Banks’ wife reveals receiving threatening messages

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tanner Banks’ wife, Chandler, revealed that they have received menacing texts on Instagram. She shared screenshots of the messages aimed at their young kid.

Chandler captioned them, saying, “This is the side of baseball people don’t see.” The comments came under a picture of their son from an October 2023 post. The comments have since been deleted, but are suspected to have been made after Banks got taken out of the game vs. the New York Mets on Saturday.

San Diego Padres-Los Angeles Dodgers bench-clearing incident and suspensions

The San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers reminded the MLB world why their rivalry ranks among the fiercest in sports, capping a high-octane game with flying fists and all-out chaos.

Both of their teams’ superstars, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Shohei Ohtani, got hit by pitches during the game. This led to both managers taking to the field and the MLB getting involved.

The umpires’ desperate bid to stop the chaos fell flat as players from both teams cleared the benches. MLB issued 1-game suspensions for Padres manager Mike Shildt and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Padres pitcher Robert Suarez also received a 3-game suspension, along with undisclosed fines for all three of them. Padres shortstop Manny Machado even warned the Dodgers to pray that Tatis' medical reports come back negative.

MLB suspends Pirates’ Dennis Santana for swinging at fan

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dennis Santana was issued a four-game suspension by the MLB for swinging at a fan during mid-game against the Detroit Tigers. He denied revealing any details on the incident, but said that the fan “crossed the line.”

An undisclosed fine was also added to the suspension. He said that while he’s a pretty calm guy and avoids getting into altercations, this fan had crossed the line several times before he finally snapped.

Red Sox executive harassed by online fans following Rafael Devers trade

Boston Red Sox executive Craig Breslow was harassed by some fans after they traded one of their star players, Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants. Fans revealed Breslow’s home address online, and other front office people were also harassed in a similar manner.

Devers’ strained relationship with the Red Sox was apparent since the offseason, and it finally fell apart after their game against the New York Yankees. His trade was a huge shock for the MLB world, and the timing of it made the incident even more jaw-dropping.