MLB Disciplines Marlins, Nats for Wednesday Night Smackdown

Two days after the benches-clearing melee between the Marlins and Nationals, Major League Baseball has handed out fines and suspensions. Five Marlins, including manager Edwin Rodriguez, were disciplined by MLB. 

Chris Volstad has been fined an undisclosed amount and suspended for six games, and Alex Sanabia (whose quiet demeanor belies his inner gansta) got a five-game suspension. Gaby Sanchez was also suspended for three games, while pitcher Jose Veras was fined an undisclosed amount for running his mouth. Manager Edwin Rodriguez was also fined and handed a one-game suspension.

As for the Nats, Nyjer Morgan, the instigator of the brawl, has received an eight-game suspension along with an undisclosed fine. The discipline was for incidents from three separate games beginning last Saturday against the Cardinals, and is in addition to the seven game-game suspension he was given for throwing a baseball at a fan in Philadelphia on August 21st. 

Aside from Morgan, pitcher Doug Slaten has been suspended for three games, manager Jim Riggleman was fined and suspended for two games, and third base coach Pat Listach was fined and given a three-game suspension for actions MLB calls "aggressive," but I call just plain awkward. 

All the suspensions were scheduled to begin tonight, with the exception of Sanabia's, which is set to start Wednesday so that it doesn't overlap with Volstad's. We can assume Gaby Sanchez has appealed his suspension, since he's in tonight's starting lineup. Both Volstad and Sanabia have appealed their suspensions as well.

There are times when the crime is oh-so-worth the punishment. (Go and watch a few dozen replays of Gaby's clothesline of Morgan in slow-mo, and decide if this is one of those times.) Then again, the Marlins' beatdown of Nyjer Morgan has further complicated the issues with our starting rotation, which just lost Ricky Nolasco for the season.