Ventura drops appeal, starts suspension
KANSAS CITY -- Yordano Ventura, one of four Royals suspended after an on-field incident with the White Sox on April 23, has decided to serve his seven-game suspension without an appeal.
Ventura will be eligible to return to the mound on May 8, when the Royals travel to Detroit to start a three-game series.
Because of an off-day on Monday, the Royals will not have to find a spot starter for Ventura during his suspension, and can instead just roll with their other four starters until Ventura comes back.
Right-hander Chris Young will likely get the start on Friday night against Detroit in place of right-hander Edinson Volquez, who is finishing his five-game suspension. Volquez is eligible to return on Saturday, and he is slated to go that night against the Tigers. Volquez's suspension stems from the on-field fracas with the White Sox last Thursday.
"We're just trying to get our rotation sorted out," manager Ned Yost said.
Right-handed reliever Kelvin Herrera is facing a two-game suspension and a five-game suspension -- he has appealed both. The two-gamer was meted out because he threw behind Oakland's Brett Lawrie. The five-game suspension also came from the White Sox incident last Thursday.
Center fielder Lorenzo Cain also is facing a two-game suspension connected to the White Sox game.
The 23-year-old Ventura, who finished sixth in last year's American League Rookie of the Year Award balloting, took the loss on Wednesday night against the Indians before deciding to drop his appeal. He is 2-2 with a 4.94 ERA this season, but he's also been involved in a few incidents.
Ventura got into an argument with the Angels' Mike Trout on April 12, and he was ejected from a game against the A's on April 18 after hitting Lawrie with a pitch. Ventura was right back in the middle of the action on April 23, when he exchanged words with Chicago outfielder Adam Eaton on a ground ball back to the mound. Both benches cleared, and five players were ejected for their parts in the action.