Machado expects teammates to step up in wake of suspension

Manny Machado knew he was going to net a suspension for charging the mound and punching Yordano Ventura, but he didn't care.

After being drilled by a 99-mph fastball on Tuesday, he induced a benches-clearing brawl between the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals when he sprinted at Ventura.

Related: Machado suspended 4 games for brawl with Royals

Two days later, Machado got a four-game suspension, and although he doesn't regret his decision, he wants his team to step up in his absence.

"It's obviously going to suck that I'm going to be out," Machado told the Baltimore Sun's Eduardo A. Encina. "I know I'm going to deal with the consequences and I have faith in my teammates that they're going to come up and help me out and step up and do what they have to do to keep winning some games and keep doing what they have to do."

Machado is appealing the decision, which allows him to be in the lineup Thursday when the Orioles take on the Toronto Blue Jays.

When he does eventually get his final decision, it'll end MLB's longest active streak of consecutive games played. Machado holds the record, entering Thursday with 200 straight games played under his belt.

Although Baltimore will be down to 24 players on their roster with the suspension, Machado believes his team will pick him up and won't miss a beat until he returns.

"This is what makes a team," Machado said. "In tough situations, people have got to step up and do what they have to do and I think we have a great group, and that's what they know how to do around here.

"Everybody is going to have to step up and do what they need to, the part they need to."

Coming into Thursday's matchup, the Orioles sit in first place in the American League East, while owning the second-best record in the AL.