The Washington Nationals have suspended relief pitcher Jonathan Papelbon for four games without pay after he grabbed team-mate Bryce Harper by the neck during an altercation on Sunday.
And the team also said that Papelbon has dropped his appeal against the three-game suspension he was given by Major League Baseball for hitting Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles with a pitch last Wednesday.
Papelbon, whom the Nationals acquired from Philadelphia in a July trade, has therefore played his last game for the team this season.
His scuffle with Harper happened during the eighth inning of Sunday's 12-5 loss to the Phillies.
Harper, who is a leading contender for the National League MVP award, was shouted at by Papelbon for what he believed was Harper's failure to run hard when he hit a fly-out.
The two exchanged words and Papelbon then lunged at his team-mate, grabbing Harper's throat and shoving the outfielder back toward the bench, before colleagues pulled the duo apart.
The incident capped a disappointing season for the Nationals, who began the year with World Series aspirations but have failed to make the play-offs.
Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo said: "What happened was unacceptable.
"I think this was an isolated incident, and I think Jonathan will learn from this and react differently the next time."
Manager Matt Williams added: "I was upset, I was appalled.
"It has been a very difficult 24 hours for the organization. We have to get past that. We have to fix it, we have to move forward."
