MLB fans furious as Bryan Abreu drills Mitch Garver in the ribs, call for action against pitcher and Astros

Bryan Abreu's suspension has been the secondary plot throughout the ALCS. The Houston Astros reliever was suspended by the MLB for intentionally hitting Adolis Garcia in Game 5. However, that didn't stop Abreu from repeating the action in the decider on Monday.

In Game 5 in Arlington, Abreu drilled Garcia in the eighth innings with a 98.9 mph fastball on the inside. The hit by pitch led to the benches clearing, fueling the fire in a hotly contested series till then.

All six umpires determined that Abreu had intentionally hit the Rangers slugger. Adolis Garcia had just hit a three-run home run in his previous at-bat. The MLB ruled that Abreu would be suspended for two games. However, the Astros challenged the decision and he was allowed to pitch in Game 6. Ahead of Game 7, the MLB upheld their decision but postponed his suspension to the regular season in 2024.

The 26-year-old took to the mound in the sixth innings and hit Mitch Garver with a 97 mph fastball that took the inside line. It hit Garver's ribs and he was visibly in a lot of pain, sitting down at the batter's box trying to regain his composure. One out later, Nathaniel Lowe came to the box and struck Abreu's pitch for a 358-foot homer to extend the Rangers' lead.

Regardless, baseball fans were disgusted with Abreu's actions as they took to X, formerly Twitter, to voice their opinions:

Bryan Abreu's suspension likely to be increased after Game 7 incident

The MLB is pretty strict about players' well-being. During Abreu's suspension ruling, the league management said it "took into account the dangerous nature of the pitch and its potential impact on player safety."

Keeping that in mind, if a secondary investigation is put into place for Bryan Abreu's conduct despite the suspension, then it's likely that the MLB will sanction him further.