Report: Rangers' Tanner Scheppers was 'verbal instigator' in bar fight

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Reliever Tanner Scheppers said he was "sucker punched" in Cleveland on Thursday night, but discrepancies exist between his account of the incident, a witness' and a police statement. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

(Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

A witness who saw the incident that left Texas Rangers reliever Tanner Scheppers with a black eye and headaches refuted Scheppers' claim that he was "sucker punched" in Cleveland on Thursday night.

The witness told that Scheppers, accompanied by closer Joe Nathan, catcher A.J. Pierzynski and several women, was a "verbal instigator" in the altercation.

While Scheppers, who was unavailable to pitch on Friday against the Indians, told The Fort-Worth Star-Telegram that he was "blindsided" while getting food, the witness said he was actually "jawing back and forth" with the men who punched him.

"He lost a bar fight," the witness told "He had 10 chances to walk away before this happened."

Schepperscalled the punch "one of those freak things" in his account to The Star-Telegram.

The Cleveland Police Department released information regarding the incident on Sunday, writing that it took place at 2:30 a.m. at Panini's Bar about six blocks from the Rangers' hotel, not two as Scheppers told reporters.

