A bizarre scene in Anaheim led to the first mound charge of the 2026 MLB season when Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jorge Soler threw wild punches at Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo Lopez.
Soler took the first pitch of his first inning at-bat over the wall to give the Angels an early 2-0 lead. Lopez responded by hitting him five pitches in to his second attempt at the plate.
When Soler took to the box in the bottom of the fifth inning, Lopez fired a pitch high and somewhat inside which led to Angels infielder Nolan Schanuel stealing second base.
What followed was a bizarre sequence where Lopez and Soler stared each other down for a period of about ten to fifteen seconds after the play had ended.
As Lopez walked toward the rubber, Soler began approaching him. Lopez was seen raising his arms to ask what the batter’s problem was and the Angels star responded by rushing the mound.
The pair threw wild punches at each other as the benches and bullpens of the two teams cleared onto the field to break up the melee.
Angels star Jorge Soler charged the mound and threw punches at Atlanta’s Reynaldo Lopez
Soler was hit by a pitch in the third inning and then took a pitch high in the fifth, setting him off
The pair were then ejected as their teammates raced onto the field to stop the melee
While neither player connected with their blows, Soler was tackled from behind by multiple Braves players.
Meanwhile, Angels star Mike Trout got a handle on Lopez and pushed him away from the gathering of players.
The players continued to stand together on the first-base path for some time as Soler was dragged away by multiple people.
Eventually, when the dust settled, both Soler and Lopez were ejected from the ballgame for their brawl.
As of the seventh inning, Soler’s two-run blast made up the only runs of the Angels’ evening. Meanwhile, the Braves scored four of their own before the fight even took place.
