Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley said he knew of MLB's decision to reverse his suspension prior to Sunday's announcement, saying the league's chief baseball officer Joe Torre informed him of the ruling a few weeks ago, giving Utley no reason to proceed with an appeal.
"At the end of the day, I believe that he believes the slide was not an illegal slide," Utley told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.
''I think it's a relief for everybody,'' he continued. ''We can put this behind us and focus on baseball.''
The 37-year-old had received a two-game suspension for his takeout slide that broke New York Mets infielder Ruben Tejada's leg during the NLDS. As a result, MLB passed a rule change last month to outlaw the slide.
Torre had previously stated his belief that the suspension likely wouldn't hold up in an appeal if the league tried to retroactively apply the new rule to Utley.
"I think it would have been an issue," Torre said. "There wasn't anything clear-cut to say that play violated a rule."
The new rule still permits runners to make contact with the fielder, but they must begin their slide before reaching the base, and not alter their pathway to leave the baseline.
