Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman of the Toronto Blue Jays works the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 15, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland.Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Marcus Stroman of the Toronto Blue Jays has dropped his appeal and on Sunday started a five-game suspension for throwing a beanball during Monday's game against the Baltimore Orioles.
The original ruling from Major League Baseball called for a six-game suspension, a judgement that the rookie pitcher said he would appeal.
Following the Baltimore series the Blue Jays came to New York on Thursday to begin a four-game series against the Yankees, which wound up on Sunday.
All week Stroman said that he had no information on the status of his appeal hearing before MLB and he was allowed to make his next scheduled start against the Yankees on Saturday.
On Sunday, the Blue Jays announced that Stroman had dropped the appeal after agreeing to a reduction of the original penalty to five games from six.
A Blue Jays spokesman said that Stroman never formally appeared at a hearing.
Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos said that the matter was handled entirely by the player's union with no involvement from the Blue Jays club.
Stroman got himself into trouble during Monday's game in Baltimore against the Orioles when he fired a head-high pitch at Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph in the sixth inning.
The ball sailed behind Joseph's head and many felt it was in retribution for a play that unfolded the inning before when the Baltimore catcher appeared to spike the hand of Toronto's Jose Reyes, who was sliding in safely at home plate.
Stroman denied he was throwing at the head of Joseph, that the ball slipped from his hand.