Fansided

Nationals suspend Jonathan Papelbon for remainder of season

By Nathaniel Reeves

Aug 29, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon (58) reacts after recording the final out against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park. The Washington Nationals won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 29, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon (58) reacts after recording the final out against the Miami Marlins at Nationals Park. The Washington Nationals won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Washington Nationals reliever will sit out a total of seven games for multiple altercations over the past few days.

After being acquired at the trade deadline to shore up a thin bullpen, Jonathan Papelbon’s tenure with the disappointing Washington Nationals has been nothing short of disastrous. Papelbon has been involved in multiple incidents this season, but finally went one step too far for the Nationals on Sunday.

The contentious reliever got into a fight with star teammate Bryce Harper in the eighth inning of Sunday’s loss to the Philadelphia Phillies after Harper apparently didn’t hustle enough for Papelbon’s liking on a flyout in the eighth inning. After the fight, Papelbon said that someone needed to show Harper “how to play the game the right way.”

For that, the Nationals have given Papelbon a four game suspension, according to the team’s official Twitter account.

In addition, Papelbon accepted a three game suspension from the league for throwing at the head of Baltimore Orioles star Manny Machado last Wednesday, bringing his total to seven games. With exactly seven games left in the regular season and Washington eliminated from postseason contention, its safe to say we’ve seen the last of Papelbon in a Nationals’ uniform.

The tension between Harper and Papelbon started with the incident on Wednesday, if not before. Harper publicly called out Papelbon for targeting Machado, indicating that such an action could lead to teams throwing at him in the future.

It’s hard to argue against general manager Mike Rizzo’s comments on Papelbon or the team’s suspension. Harper has been criticized for his lack of hustle by many, including his own manager, in previous seasons, but choking the likely NL MVP in the dugout is about the worst possible way to handle such a situation.

While most players have sided with Papelbon in the date, such allegations about Harper seem well out of date. Even if he’s just 22 years old, Harper is in his fourth year in the Majors and deserves more respect. In addition, such a valuable player with a lengthy injury history doesn’t need to risk hurting himself on what was essentially a meaningless play.

Papelbon’s fate with the Nationals is already assured, but Sunday was another black mark against manager Matt Williams. Williams allowed Papelbon to pitch after the altercation, claiming he didn’t know how bad the fight was. Papelbon promptly lost the game against his former team after publicly questioning their will to win a few weeks ago.

The 2015 Nationals have been one of the most disappointing teams in recent memory. Papelbon’s suspension seems like a fitting end for a team that should have achieved much more.

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