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The Nationals have 28 games remaining this season. Nyjer Morgan will be ineligible for more than half of them if all the suspensions he has accumulated the last couple of weeks stand up. Major League Baseball on Friday suspended Morgan for eight games in the wake of three separate incidents in the past week. That's in addition to the seven-game ban he drew last week after throwing a ball into the stands in Philadelphia, which hasn't been served yet because Morgan filed an appeal.
"What did I do? I feel I haven't done anything," Morgan told MLB.com. "They are blowing this way out of proportion because I'm a hard-nosed player -- because I knocked over a catcher. They throw the ball at me. Come on, what am I supposed to do?"
It's been a busy week for the Nationals outfielder, who was disciplined by MLB for "unnecessarily" running into Cardinals catcher Bryan Anderson last Saturday; directing "inappropriate comments" toward fans in Florida during Tuesday's game and charging the mound Wednesday night to incite a bench-clearing brawl with the Marlins.
That wide-ranging fracas also led to numerous disciplinary measures against Nationals and Marlins personnel, which were also announced Friday.
Marlins pitcher Chris Volstad was suspended six games for twice throwing at Morgan intentionally. Marlins pitcher Alex Sanabia drew a five-game ban for fighting, and first baseman Gaby Sanchez -- who clotheslined Morgan during the brawl -- got three games. Florida reliever Jose Veras was fined but not suspended for his part in the incident.
Back on the Nationals' side, reliever Doug Slaten was suspended three games for intentionally throwing at Sanchez the inning after the brawl and third base coach Pat Listach, who charged into the fray, also got three games -- but it was later reduced to two.
In addition, Nationals manager Jim Riggleman was suspended two games and fined while Marlins skipper Edwin Rodriguez was suspended one game and fined. Riggleman got an additional game because Slaten threw at Sanchez after warnings had been issued to both teams and also was slapped with an "additional fine" by MLB discipline czar Frank Robinson for "inappropriate comments regarding the incident."
The managers can't appeal and their suspensions are effective immediately. Listach's ban will start Sunday, the day Riggleman returns to the dugout.
The players' suspensions were scheduled to begin Friday with the exception of Sanabia, who will be out beginning Wednesday to avoid overlapping with Volstad's absence. However, all of the suspended Marlins chose to appeal, so their punishment will be put on hold pending hearings. Morgan is also appealing, as he is in the Nationals' lineup as usual Friday night.
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