Suspension is reduced to eight games from 15
Nationals center fielder Nyjer Morgan will serve only an eight-game suspension after Major League Baseball nullified one of his two recent suspensions on appeal.
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Morgan’s initial seven-game punishment for allegedly throwing a ball into the stands in Philadelphia and hitting a fan on Aug. 21 has been vacated. He still must sit out eight games for his role in a brawl with the Florida Marlins on Sept. 1. Morgan met with league officials last Friday at Nationals Park for over four hours to appeal the total 15-game suspension handed down Sept. 3. He was allowed to play while the league made its decision, batting .273 in 12 games with a pair of doubles and three walks.
Morgan will serve his suspension beginning Friday night in Philadelphia and is not eligible to play again until Sept. 25 at home against Atlanta. He also was fined $15,000 and can’t watch games from the dugout or the clubhouse.
The Nats, who did not play Thursday, have 16 games remaining. The team likely will use Roger Bernadina in center field with Willie Harris or Justin Maxwell moving into the lineup in left. Both reserves, especially Maxwell, also could start in center. Morgan, almost exclusively a leadoff hitter since his acquisition from Pittsburgh in June 2009, had been dropped in the batting order this month, often hitting seventh or eighth. Rookies Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa have anchored the top of the lineup recently.
