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Nats closer Papelbon suspended 3 games for throw at Machado

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon, right, argues with umpire Mark Ripperger, second from right, during the ninth inning of an interleague baseball game as Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter, left, walks on the field, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015, in Washington. Papelbon was ejected for hitting Baltimore Orioles' Manny Machado with a pitch. Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, third from right, looks on. The Orioles won 4-3. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) Washington Nationals relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon, right, argues with umpire Mark Ripperger, second from right, during the ninth inning of an interleague baseball game as Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter, left, walks on the field, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2015, in Washington. Papelbon was ejected for hitting Baltimore Orioles' Manny Machado with a pitch. Washington Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos, third from right, looks on. The Orioles won 4-3. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

By Associated Press September 25, 2015 1 min read

WASHINGTON (AP) – Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon has been suspended for three games and fined by Major League Baseball for throwing a pitch in the “head area” of Baltimore’s Manny Machado.

The penalty was announced Friday.

The Nationals said Papelbon will appeal, making him eligible to pitch Friday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, who traded him to Washington in July.

In the ninth inning of Baltimore’s 4-3 victory at Washington on Wednesday night, Papelbon’s first pitch to Machado was up and in, and his third hit him Machado the upper arm. Papelbon was ejected.

The Nationals are barely hanging on to the faintest of playoff hopes. They entered Friday trailing the first-place New York Mets by 7 1/2 games in the NL East.