MLB suspends Royals' Herrera 5 games for throwing behind Athletics' Lawrie

Major League Baseball has answered Brett Lawrie's cries for justice. 

The league handed down a five-game suspension to Kansas City Royals reliever Kelvin Herrera and fined him an undisclosed amount for throwing behind the Oakland Athletics third baseman on Sunday. He'll appeal the suspension. 

Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura was also fined but avoided suspension. 

Lawrie slid hard into Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar during the series opener, resulting in a left knee sprain for Escobar. 

Ventura plunked Lawrie with a 99-mph fastball the following game, resulting in an ejection for the pitcher that caused both benches to empty. 

Lawrie took his punishment and walked quietly to first base, but became enraged the following day when Herrera fired a 100-mph fastball behind him in the eighth inning of the series finale, resulting in Herrera's immediate ejection. 

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

"You don’t throw behind someone and walk away when you throw 100, and say, 'the next time I face you, I’m gonna hit you in the head,'" Lawrie told reporters following the game. "That's some bullshit, and he needs to pay for that. That ain't OK."

Herrera denied purposely throwing at Lawrie and said he pointed to his head to tell Lawrie to think about it and not that he was going to target his head. 

"I had a bad grip on it," Herrera said. "It started raining pretty good."

The suspension to Herrera is a huge loss for the Royals' bullpen even if it is for just five games. The 25-year-old has made a team-high six appearances this season, posting six strikeouts and holding opponents to a .158 average while having yet to yield a run.