Ubaldo Jimenez suspended five games for throwing at Troy Tulowitzki

Ubaldo Jimenez was suspended for five games after hitting Troy Tulowitzki in a spring training game. (AP)

Indians pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez was suspended for five games and fined by Major League Baseball for hitting former teammate Troy Tulowitzki with a pitch during a spring training game Sunday. Tulowitzki was hit in the elbow in the first inning of the game and did not return. X-rays on the elbow were negative.

Tulowitzki and Jimenez had a feud earlier in the spring after Jimenez told the press he had been unhappy in Colorado before the Rockies traded him to Cleveland last summer. Tulowitzki responded via the media by telling The Denver Post that it was time for Jimenez to move on. The Rockies said Jimenez intentionally threw at Tulowitzki Sunday, but Jimenez denied those assertions.

“He was calling me names,” Jimenez said. “I already said I didn’t want to hit him. I had five walks. It’s not the first time somebody (was) hit.”

Cleveland manager Manny Acta said he expects Jimenez to appeal the suspension. The 28-year-old is slated to fill the second spot in the Indians rotation this season despite a rocky start in Cleveland during which Jimenez went 4-4 with a 5.10 ERA. In six years with Colorado, Jimenez went 56-45 with a 3.66 ERA and was named to the 2010 All-Star Team.

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