Sports

Toronto shortstop suspended for anti-gay slur

Sarah Hofmann Contributor
Font Size:

The Toronto Blue Jays have suspended shortstop Yunel Escobar for three games after he was seen sporting eye-black strips on his face reading “you are a faggot” in Spanish.

During Saturday’s game against the Boston Red Sox, a Getty Images photograph captured the message, which read “tu ere maricon.”

Major League Baseball investigated whether the message could have been a prank pulled by other teammates, but concluded that Escobar was responsible for the anti-gay slur.

Escobar stands to lose $92,000 from the three-game suspension, funds which the Blue Jays says will go instead to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. He will also be required to attend sensitivity training, according to the MLB.

Follow Sarah on Twitter