Cubs Manager Joe Maddon Responds to Pedro Strop's NSFW Commentary on Yasiel Puig

The Pedro Strop-Yasiel Puig feud that materialized during Saturday's Cubs-Reds game is an unusual one in that just about no one saw it coming.

Sure, Puig can be a hothead at times, but there was virtually no build-up which led to Strop drilling the Cuban outfielder with a fastball. Puig, perhaps shocked more than anything else, responded by walking toward the mound and prompting a benches-clearing altercation.

After the game, Strop made it clear where he stood on the matter. Confused, he fired back:

This is not only an attack on Puig's intelligence, but his character -- a subject that's long been up for debate ever since the Dodgers signed the Cuban star in 2012 via a large sum of international bonus money.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon, forced to either back up or discourage the words of his flamethrowing reliever, chose to take the high road.

Maddon is typically a hands-off manager in terms of allowing his players to make themselves heard, whichever subject that may be. However, he's right by stating this is a little out of character for Strop, who is more reserved than some Cubs stars such as Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Anthony Rizzo.

We can only assume there will be more fireworks on Sunday.