Pirates’ McCutchen says Nationals’ Lopez didn’t mean to throw at his head

Andrew McCutchen, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ designated hitter, said he holds no ill will toward Washington Nationals reliever Jorge Lopez after a high and inside pitch last Wednesday caused the teams to clear their benches for a fight.

“It wasn’t on purpose,” McCutchen wrote on X this week, responding to a video that claimed the inside pitch was intentional.

Initially, some fans and commentators believed Lopez’s pitch was retaliation for a pitch that hit Nationals infielder Paul DeJong in the face the day before. DeJong suffered a fractured nose and was briefly hospitalized.

Lopez hit the Pirates’ Bryan Reynolds in the at-bat before narrowly missing McCutchen.

“I apologize for everything,” Lopez, who was ejected, said after the game “I didn’t make any pitch [on purpose] right there.”

MLB officials suspended Lopez for three games and issued an undisclosed fine. Nationals manager Dave Martinez also received a one-game suspension.

Lopez has struggled with control throughout the season. He has hit two batters and issued four walks in 8 1/3 innings for the 10-13 Nationals.