DETROIT (AP) — A day after he was involved in a dugout scrap with a teammate, Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias said he was fine with his role in the altercation.
"I just go by instincts, and my instincts tell me to do that," he said. "I'm OK with it."
Iglesias shoved Tigers catcher James McCann and threw his glove at him during a 7-2 loss to Boston on Friday night. Iglesias spoke to reporters Saturday for the first time since the dustup.
"It wasn't a big deal," Iglesias said. "Things happen. It is what it is. When you deal (with) something for 162 games, everybody's not going to be on the same page. But it's over. It was yesterday, so we've just got to play better and win today."
A replay showed McCann approaching Iglesias in the dugout. Iglesias shoved McCann in the chest before being restrained by third baseman Nick Castellanos. Then the All-Star shortstop threw his glove.
McCann said after the game the squabble was an "in-house subject" and had been taken care of.
The scrap came amid a tense couple of weeks for the Tigers, who are mired under .500. Detroit traded David Price, Yoenis Cespedes and Joakim Soria before the July 31 deadline, and then this past Tuesday, general manager Dave Dombrowski was let go. Manager Brad Ausmus said he didn't think his team's frustrating season had anything to do with what happened between Iglesias and McCann.
"I don't think there's any correlation," Ausmus said. "I've been on teams that are winning and have had the same thing happen."
Iglesias said the heated exchange is just part of the game. When asked if he wished he'd handled it differently, he said no.
"It's fine," he said. "I'm OK with it."
Ausmus had little reaction to Iglesias' comments.
"Maybe he subscribes to the theory that there's no bad press," the second-year manager said. "But it's over now. I'm not worried about it."
It wasn't clear what McCann may have said to Iglesias. Shortly before the confrontation, Boston's Jackie Bradley Jr. grounded into a force play at second, and Iglesias didn't throw to first to try for a double play — but there was little chance he would have been able to turn one. Also that inning, Rusney Castillo grounded a single up the middle. Iglesias moved to his left but was unable to make a play on the ball.
"To me it looked like he started to go for it as if he was going to dive and didn't think he could get there with a dive," Ausmus said.
Iglesias was asked if he felt he gave full effort on the play.
"I think I have a chance to make each and every play when I'm at short. There's no doubt about it," he said. "I just try to come here and do my job. I don't tell anybody how to play your position, so I just go out there and do my best."