MLB Announces Suspensions for Manny Machado, Yordano Ventura

It was a scene that has become all too familiar in recent weeks: both benches spilled out onto the field, punches thrown and jerseys torn.

Now that the melee has subsided, both the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals learned the repercussions of their players’ actions.

MACHADO VS. VENTURA

Orioles shortstop, and one of baseball’s brightest budding stars, Manny Machado, was suspended four games and Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura was suspended for nine games, according to an announcement passed down by Major League Baseball and reported by USA Today.

The pair became entangled after Ventura plunked Machado in the back with a 99 MPH fastball June 6, prompting the shortsop to charge the mound, landing at least one punch to Ventura’s head.

Kansas City’s right-hander is no stranger to this type of punishment, having been suspended for seven games last season after hitting first basemen Jose Abreu.

But that was just the backdrop.

Chaos ensued after White Sox right fielder, Adam Eaton, hit a one-hopper back to Ventura, who jawed at Eaton before throwing to first for the third and final out of the inning.

HERE’S A LOOK BACK AT VENTURA’S INCIDENT WITH SOX

Machado, too, has been benched previously by the league for a physical altercation, serving a five-game suspension of his own in June 2014, after throwing his bat toward third base after a brushback pitch.

Both players have said they plan to appeal the suspensions.

“It’s just kind of tough when you have to play short because of something that someone else kind of got going,” said O’s Manager Buck Showalter prior to last night’s contest between Baltimore and Toronto.

Machado did not appear miffed by the announcement and was in the lineup Baltimore’s 6-5 win over the Blue Jays, north of the border at Rogers Centre.

Machado went 2-for-5 in the game, with one run batted in. The young shortstop would be sorely missed if his appeal fails to bear fruit, given he is batting .305 with 15 home runs and 38 RBI.

“They came up with the decision and obviously I’m going to appeal,” Machado said. ” We’ll see what happens.”

Machado should have some success with his appeal, but don’t expect the same for Ventura. The Royals righty is beginning to build a reputation in the league for having a bad attitude and a short fuse.

The fight reopened the debate about baseball’s unspoken rules.

Royals Manager Ned Yost came to his pitcher’s defense Wednesday.

“Everyone wants to jump on Ventura’s maturity,” Yost said via Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. “But they look at the incident where (Machado) got hit. They didn’t see the at-bat before when Manny was screaming at him, ‘Don’t throw inside to me, don’t throw inside.’ (Ventura gets thrown into the spotlight that he’s guilty, there’s more to this thing.”

Article by Kevin Xavier