Dodgers News: Chase Utley Suspended 2 Games For Hard Slide

UPDATE (Oct. 12, 3:55 p.m. PT): According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, prior to suspending Chase Utley, Major League Baseball asked the Los Angeles Dodgers’ infielder to accept a one-game suspension:

Before Chase Utley was given a two-game suspension, MLB asked him to take a 1-game suspension for Game 3, tonight. He said no.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) October 12, 2015

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UPDATE (Oct. 12, 9:15 a.m. PT): According to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times, Chase Utley’s appeal will not be heard prior to Game 3 and is unlikely to to be heard before Game 4, leaving Utley eligible to play in both games at Citi Field:

Source: Utley hearing won't happen today, "unlikely" tomorrow. If no hearing tomorrow, Utley would be eligible for both games in New York.

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) October 12, 2015

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Major League Baseball announced Sunday evening Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Chase Utley was suspended two games for his slide into second base that resulted in New York Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada suffering a fractured right fibula.

MLB chief baseball officer Joe Torre said after Game 2 of the National League Division series he was going to continue going over replay of the incident and would mull possible disciplinary action.

Torre acknowledged he doesn’t believe Utley intended to injure Tejada, but found the veteran infielder in violation of Rule 5.09 (a) (13), “one designed to protect fielders from precisely this type of rolling block that occurs away from the base,” Torre said in a released statement.

While a suspension has been handed down, Utley will file an appeal, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:

Utley will appeal.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 12, 2015

Appeal by Utley will cite a number of similar slides that did not result in discipline.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 12, 2015

Utley’s appeal will be expedited, which leaves open the possibility he’d available for Game 3:

As others have noted, MLB plans to hear Utley appeal as soon as possible.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 12, 2015

Utley appeared off the bench in Games 1 and 2, and is 1-for-2 with one strikeout thus far in the series. However, he’s a career .333/.429/.556 against Matt Harvey, who starts for the Mets in Game 3.

Given that success, it wasn’t beyond reason to believe Utley may have been in position for his first Nation start with the Dodgers. Several of Utley’s teammates came to his defense, pointing to his nature as a hard-nose player.

Mets manager Terry Collins said his clubhouse was upset over the hard slide and believed it would provide an emotional boost.

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