Nationals’ Papelbon suspended, fined for intentionally hitting Orioles player
Washington Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon has been suspended three games and fined for intentionally throwing at Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, Major League Baseball announced Friday.
The Nationals said Papelbon will appeal, making him eligible to pitch Friday night when Washington opens a three-game home series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The discipline issued to Papelbon now will be held in abeyance until the process is complete.
The suspension and undisclosed fine were announced by MLB senior vice president Joe Garagiola Jr.
On Wednesday night, Machado hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning off Washington's Max Scherzer, a blast that gave Baltimore a 4-3 lead. When Machado came up to bat in the ninth, Papelbon drilled him in his left shoulder near his head and both benches cleared.
Papelbon was immediately ejected. Machado was irate after Baltimore's victory and called the beaning intentional.
"When you throw at somebody's head on purpose, first pitch, straight out the get-go, then you throw a curveball, then you throw again at the head, that's just (expletive)," Machado said Wednesday. "You know it's coward stuff. It's just coward."
Papelbon didn't deny it when asked if he drilled Machado on purpose.
"Perception is reality," Papelbon said. "If Manny thinks I hit him, then that's what he thinks. I'm not going to sit here and go back and forth whether I did or whether I didn't, cause it doesn't matter. If he thinks I did, that's what he thinks."
