Washington Nationals Jettison Shawn Kelley after Mound Outburst during Rout
WASHINGTON (AP) — Shawn Kelley's outburst on the mound got him booted from the Washington Nationals.
The Nationals designated Kelley for assignment on Wednesday, a day after he threw his glove to the ground and glared into the dugout while working the ninth inning of a 25-4 blowout of the New York Mets.
Kelley entered the game with Washington leading 25-1. He appeared agitated and was working quickly, and he had already allowed a run when the plate umpire warned him to slow down. After the warning, he gave up a two-run homer to Austin Jackson, prompting the outburst.
"I thought (the way) he acted, portrayed on the field last night, was disrespectful to the name on the front of the jersey, the organization, specifically (manager) Davey Martinez," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. "You're either in or you're in the way. I thought he was in the way. That's something you don't come back from. It was a disrespectful act. ... I thought it warranted him leaving the team. I couldn't see how he would face the rest of the teammates and the coaching staff and the manager after such a selfish act in a 25-1 game."
Kelley apologized for his actions afterward, saying he just wanted the game to end.
"I was just trying to get through the inning and get the game over with," Kelley said. "I thought everybody had seen enough baseball for one evening."
The 34-year-old Kelley signed as a free agent with Washington in December 2015 and appeared in 135 games with the team. He had a 3.34 ERA in 35 appearances this season. He has pitched in 424 games, all in relief, over 10 seasons with four teams, and has a 3.73 career ERA.
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