Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Rodolfo Castro was suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount Tuesday for having a cellphone in his back pocket during an Aug. 9 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Castro was ruled by Major League Baseball to have violated its electronic device policy by having the cellphone in his pocket.
Castro is appealing the suspension, MLB announced.
Castro’s phone popped out of his pocket when he slid into third base during the game against the Diamondbacks. It was his first game back in the majors for his second stint with the Pirates this season.
He told reporters after the game that it was unintentional.
“I don’t think there’s any professional ballplayer that would ever go out there with any intentions of taking a cellphone,” Castro told reporters. “It’s horrible it happened to me. Obviously, it was very unintentional.”
Castro, 23, said he put his oven-mitt-like sliding glove in his pocket and forgot about the phone.