Incident Costs Posada Six-Game Suspension

Jorge Posada’s talk with baseball disciplinarian Frank Robinson about his run-in with an umpire was brief. The suspension for the New York Yankee catcher was not.

Posada was suspended for six games and fined $3,500 Friday for his confrontation with Andy Fletcher earlier this week in Toronto.

“It was short,” Posada said of his talk with Robinson. “He wanted to hear what happened from my point of view. It was tough to get a read on what would happen.”

Robinson said Posada was penalized for “aggressive arguing, making contact with Fletcher on multiple occasions and throwing equipment onto the playing field.”

Posada declined comment on his reaction to the suspension, which was delayed until after a hearing before Paul Beeston, baseball’s chief operating officer.

“We filed an immediate appeal and feel that the discipline that was handed down is totally unwarranted for what occurred in the game,” said Bob Lenaghan, a lawyer for the Major League Baseball Players Assn. “We look forward to presenting the case to Paul and are confident he will reduce the penalty.”

Posada, livid over called third strike, was ejected after batting in the ninth inning Monday of the Yankees’ 7-5 win over Toronto.

Posada appeared to bump the plate umpire while shouting profanities at him and inadvertently sprayed Fletcher’s face with saliva while arguing. The catcher then went to the dugout and threw his helmet and a bat onto the field.

Houston Astro rookie pitcher Carlos Hernandez has a partial tear in his left rotator cuff and will be sidelined for the rest of the season.

An MRI exam showed the injury. Hernandez will not require surgery, and will follow a plan of rest and rehabilitation.

Hernandez hurt his shoulder diving back into second base Aug. 29 against the Cincinnati Reds.

Hernandez was 1-0 with a 1.02 earned-run average and 17 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings over three starts for Houston. The NL Central leaders promoted him Aug. 15 from double-A Round Rock, where he was 12-3.

“The good news is that it won’t require surgery,” General Manager Gerry Hunsicker said.

The New York Yankees activated Scott Brosius from the 15-day disabled list, but the third baseman won’t return to the lineup until next week.