Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Ian Kennedy has dropped his appeal of the 10-game suspension he was given for his role in last Tuesday’s brawl with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kennedy is now eligible to return on June 29.
As a result of dropping the appeal on Monday night, Kennedy will only miss one start, as the second start he will miss will instead be pushed back one day to June 29. Diamondbacks infielder Eric Hinske said on Monday that he has filed an appeal to overturn his five-game suspension. Dodgers players have actually supported a reduction of Hinske’s suspension, calling him a “peacemaker” in the ordeal.
During the June 11 game at Dodger Stadium, Kennedy hit rookie outfielder Yasiel Puig on the left shoulder, which led to Dodgers starter Zack Greinke hitting Arizona catcher Miguel Montero in the back. Kennedy then threw up and in on Greinke, hitting him in the helmet. That set off a brawl that resulted in several ejections, fines and suspensions. The pitch to Greinke appeared to be intentional, and throwing at the head is simply unacceptable for a big league pitcher.
By dropping his appeal, Kennedy eased Arizona’s worries about its starting pitching staff. If he had held out longer for an appeal and lost the Diamondbacks could have been in rough shape, as they play on 19 consecutive days from June 25 to the All-Star break. With days off on Tuesday and next Monday, Kennedy’s absence shouldn’t be a serious problem.
*Originally posted on Rumors and Rants
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