1:36 PM PT -- Cintron released a statement on his suspension Tuesday ... accepting the punishment, but doubling down on denying he made any sort of statement about Laureano's mother.
"I accept MLB's suspension and will learn from this," Cintron says. "Although I never referenced Ramon's mother, my actions were inappropriate."
"I apologize for my part in Sunday's unfortunate incident. As coaches, we are held to a higher standard and should be an example to the players. Hopefully, other coaches will learn from my mistake so that this never happens again in the future.
Houston Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron has just been suspended for a third of the MLB season ... after sparking a bench-clearing brawl with Oakland Athletics player Ramon Laureano.
The A's were playing Houston on Sunday when Laureano was hit in the back by pitcher Humberto Castellanos, which led to a heated exchange with Cintron.
Laureano told ESPN Cintron "said in Spanish something you don't say about my mother," which led him to charge the dugout.
— Jessica Kleinschmidt (@KleinschmidtJD) August 9, 2020
While Cintron denies the claim, the MLB seems to believe Laureano's account ... handing down the punishment Tuesday -- a 20-game ban.
According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, it's believed to be one of the largest penalties handed down to a coach.
As for Laureano, the outfielder has been handed a 6-game suspension for his involvement.
The immediate reaction around the league is frustration ... as Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly was suspended 8 games for throwing at multiple Astros players last month.
Originally published -- 11:59 AM PT