SEATTLE – The Toronto Blue Jays suspended Dalton Pompey without pay after an altercation with triple-A Buffalo Bisons manager Bobby Meacham, a punishment expected to end in the coming days, multiple industry sources told Sportsnet.
The discipline stems from an incident last Sunday during a 2-1 win over Indianapolis. Pompey started the game in left field batting leadoff, walked in the first, made a catch in the field in the bottom half and was replaced by Billy McKinney, who pinch-hit for him in the top of the second.
One industry source said the 25-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., had a heated exchange with Meacham. He hasn’t played since and has been seen back home around Toronto.
The club suspension is the latest setback for Pompey, who had a brief stint with the Blue Jays back in May and later missed about a month with a ligament tear in his left thumb. He had played well since rejoining the Bisons, batting .324/.455/.412 in 12 games before last week’s incident.
How the incident might affect his future with team wasn’t immediately clear.
Pompey opened the 2015 season as the Blue Jays’ starting centre-fielder despite being only 22, struggled out of the gate, and has been playing catch-up ever since while battling through a pair of concussions and knee injuries.
The Blue Jays will need to make some sort of decision on the five-tool talent by the end of next spring at the latest as he’ll be out of options next year and they would have to expose Pompey to waivers before sending him to the minors in 2019.
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