Agent Scott Boras: 'Cannibalizing a player is not a part of baseball'
Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Alexander Guerrero, who reportedly had a portion of his ear bitten off by teammate Miguel Olivo during a dugout fight in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, is considering legal options, among others, as he recovers from surgery to repair his ear.
While clubhouse and dugout altercations are not unusual among teammates and most often are forgiven, agent Scott Boras, who represents Guerrero, said Wednesday that Olivo's actions appeared to be excessive.
"The custom and practice of a locker room over the course of the season does include confrontation and sometimes physical altercations with your teammates," Boras said. "But shooting, stabbing or cannibalizing a player is not a part of baseball or being a proper teammate. That's extreme and deserves grand discipline."
Guerrero could require five weeks or more to heal from a procedure in which a piece of his left ear was reattached. He remained in a Salt Lake City hospital Wednesday.
Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti on Wednesday morning said team officials were investigating the incident. The 35-year-old Olivo, a journeyman catcher, signed with the Dodgers in January and has spent the majority of the season in Triple-A Albuquerque.
Guerrero, 27, signed a four-year, $28 million contract with the Dodgers in October after defecting from Cuba. He was batting .376 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI in 33 games with Triple-A Albuquerque at the time of the incident. His injury comes at a particularly bad time for the Dodgers. Third baseman Juan Uribe suffered a hamstring strain Tuesday night in New York and could require time on the disabled list.
According to Boras, Olivo and Guerrero had disagreed over a play on the field when the altercation took place. A representative from Olivo's camp could not be reached for comment.
