Ubaldo Jimenez says he doesn’t deserve suspension, isn’t apologizing, didn’t hit Troy Tulowitzki on purpose

Ubaldo Jimenez spoke to the media this morning and reiterated that he didn’t hit former teammate Troy Tulowitzki on purpose yesterday, saying he shouldn’t be suspended.

Jordan Bastian of MLB.com described Jimenez as having “leaned back in his chair inside the Indians’ clubhouse on Monday morning, calmly disagreeing with the notion that a suspension was warranted.”

Asked about the pitch, Jimenez said:

Hit by pitches happen every day in the game. It’s not a surprise that somebody gets hit, especially a guy like him. You have to try to go inside on him. ... I said already that I didn’t mean to hit him. It was a pitch that got away. I had five walks in the game. I was everywhere.

Asked about former manager Jim Tracy calling for his suspension and calling it “the most gutless act I have seen in 35 years of professional baseball” Jimenez said:

I can’t control what people say. People act like this is the first time that somebody got hit. It happens in the game. That’s part of the game. It’s always been part of the game.

Jimenez also said he has no plans to apologize to Tulowitzki, who’s day-to-day with a bruised elbow after X-rays came back negative.

Bastian has a lot more on the situation at MLB.com, including some thoughts from Indians manager Manny Acta and further background details.