The Nationals’ collapse this season hit rock bottom on Sunday when closer Jonathan Papelbon choked superstar Bryce Harper after they argued over what Papelbon perceived to be a lack of hustle on Harper’s part. Even though Papelbon was amazingly left in the game for another inning after the fight because manager Matt Williams somehow didn’t notice his players fighting in his dugout, there had to be some eventual repercussions, and they came down on Monday:
The Washington Nationals have suspended RHP Jonathan Papelbon: pic.twitter.com/KYKHvllsaw
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 28, 2015
Papelbon was appealing a three-game suspension from the MLB offices for throwing at Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado on Wednesday, September 23. That suspension, plus the four games the Nationals laid on him (without pay), means that Papelbon is done for the year, as the Nats only have seven games remaining in their season. When asked at a press conference why the suspension was for four games, Williams didn’t provide an answer, but “it’s the rest of the season” might as well be a best guess.
At the presser, Williams also said that Harper would be out of the lineup on Tuesday for his part in the incident (when asked what his part was, all Williams said was “he said something to Jonathan”). That might surprise some people, except when you realize Harper was already supposed to have a day off:
Bryce Harper, yesterday: "I'm gonna get my day off tomorrow, like I was scheduled for." Matt Williams today: you're benched!
— Dan Steinberg (@dcsportsbog) September 28, 2015
The Nats are eliminated from playoff contention, and now it appears that Williams has truly lost his team. It would be a shock to everyone if he remained as manager of the Nationals next season, which would be the last year on his contract. Williams, for his part, doesn’t see the fight as a symptom of a dissatisfied and despondent baseball team, saying, “I would think that it’s an isolated incident, because we just don’t have that. We don’t have that within our dynamic as a team. That being said, it did happen, and we have to address it.”
Though Papelbon is done for the year, he does have one more year remaining on his contract, for which he’ll be paid $11 million. With or without Williams, the Nats’ clubhouse will be one to keep an eye on heading into next season.
