KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura has started serving his suspension after it was cut from nine games to eight.
Major League Baseball and the Royals announced Ventura would begin sitting out Saturday night when Kansas City hosted Detroit.
Ventura was originally suspended nine games for his role in a bench-clearing brawl June 7 at Baltimore.
Ventura twice brushed back Manny Machado, then hit him in the back with a 99 mph fastball. Machado charged the mound and swung at Ventura, and they wrestled on the ground. Ventura also hit Machado with a pitch last September.
Last year, Ventura incited three incidents during games in April. He was suspended seven games for one of them. In two starts since the altercation in Baltimore, Ventura is 2-0. He threw 6 1-3 scoreless innings Friday night to beat the Detroit Tigers.
Ventura will be eligible for reinstatement on June 28 against the St Louis Cardinals if the Royals don’t have any rainouts before then.