Willson Contreras exploded after a called strikeout against Yohan Ramírez in the seventh, throwing his bat and drawing an ejection from umpire Derek Thomas. The confrontation escalated as Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol parted the pair, and Contreras later hurled a candy bucket onto the field after reaching the dugout. The incident came with the Cardinals up by a run in a 6-5 game against the Pirates, casting a spotlight on MLB conduct standards.

MLB is expected to review the incident for discipline, a development fantasy managers will watch closely. In the short term, Contreras’ status for upcoming games could influence the Cardinals’ lineup and run production, while Ramírez and Pittsburgh benefited from the eruption as the sequence unfolded in a high-leverage moment.

For fantasy managers, the key is monitoring Contreras’s next-status and any discipline announcements. If he sits, expect a shuffle behind the plate and potential ripple effects in Cardinals’ offensive near-term projections.