Time for MLB to get tougher on pitchers who target hitters

CINCINNATI — Jose
Ureña got off easy. The Marlins pitcher who intentionally drilled promising Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was suspended six games, meaning he’d miss no more than one start.

Or, technically, simply have his next start moved back a day or two.

If Major League Baseball is serious about keeping its stars on the field and preventing pitchers from using hitters as target practice, more severe sentences should be handed down following such lunacy.

Suspend Ureña long enough that it hurts. Send a message. Make him miss multiple starts, maybe a month, without pay. Suspend the manager, Don Mattingly, too.