BALTIMORE — Orioles manager Buck Showalter confirmed that the hearing for third baseman Manny Machado’s five-game suspension will finally take place in Baltimore on Thursday.
The 21-year-old is appealing the discipline handed down by Major League Baseball for a bat-throwing incident that took place against the Oakland Athletics on June 8 and his bench-clearing altercation with Oakland third baseman Josh Donaldson two days earlier. Machado was ejected from the Sunday game before being suspended for five games and fined an undisclosed amount.
Executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette will attend the hearing while Showalter expressed hope on Tuesday that a final decision would not come prior to Friday’s split doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Orioles will play a man down for however long Machado is ultimately suspended.
“Some of their precedents have been longer than [a few days] before they’ve announced it,” said Showalter when asked if a decision might not come until after the twin bill. “If [before Friday is] what they decide, you’ve got to take your medicine. I don’t think it needs to be resolved before Saturday. What do you think?”
It remains unclear when a decision will be handed down on the suspension, but the organization and Machado have expressed confidence that the five-game penalty will be reduced.
Athletics relief pitcher Fernando Abad was also ejected from the June 8 game and eventually fined but not suspended for throwing two inside pitches before Machado hurled his bat.
