Dodgers’ Chase Utley eligible for rest of National League division series

The appeal hearing for Chase Utley has been set for Monday, so the Dodgers infielder will be eligible to play the rest of the National League division series before any further suspension could take effect.

If the Dodgers advance to the National League Championship Series, Utley would be eligible to play in the first two games before the appeal hearing.

On Sunday, Major League Baseball suspended Utley two games for the takeout slide that resulted in a broken leg for New York Mets infielder Ruben Tejada.

The league was prepared to conduct an appeal hearing on Monday, before Game 3 of the NLDS. However, the players union is entitled to time to prepare its case, in particular to research what action the league might have taken in similar cases. Utley’s agent and the union are expected to argue that slides such as Utley’s have not resulted in suspensions.

Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters in Chicago that he would consult with the union about the possibility of expediting future hearings in the event of suspensions during the playoffs.

“We haven’t had a suspension in the postseason in a very long time,” he said.

The league plans to experiment in the Arizona Fall League with a new rule that would require runners to slide directly into second base, in the hope of reducing the injury risk to middle infielders on a double play. The union would have to approve any rule change at the major league level.

Loud, not lewd

Utley remained out of the Dodgers’ lineup for Game 4, but the passionate venom of the Mets’ fans toward him in Game 3 still was a topic of discussion. Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly laughed off the question of how Utley had handled the hostility.

“Fine,” Mattingly said. “He played in Philly.”

Dodgers reliever J.P. Howell said Mets fans near the visiting bullpen were loud but not lewd.

“They always represent themselves with class out there, believe it or not,” Howell said.

Grandal hurts shoulder

With left-hander Steven Matz pitching for the Mets, A.J. Ellis started in Game 4 of the National League division series. But even if the Mets had started a right-hander, Ellis might have played over Yasmani Grandal.

Grandal experienced renewed discomfort in his left shoulder the previous night, in Game 3.

“We knew at some point it was going to come back,” Grandal said. “Some days it’s going to hurt, some days it’s not.”

Manager Don Mattingly said Grandal was available for Game 4.

“If he wasn’t available tonight, we would have made a [roster] move,” Mattingly said.

But Mattingly said before Game 4 that the Dodgers could be forced to make such a move if the series continued beyond Tuesday.

“We know he’ll be able to play tonight, and then moving forward we have to make a decision,” Mattingly said.

A left-handed complement

With Matz starting for the Mets, the Dodgers played an entirely right-handed-hitting outfield that included Yasiel Puig in right.

Puig, who batted sixth, finished the game 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

That came as no surprise to at least one scout following the Dodgers, who said before the game that Puig was “not close to game ready.”

Limited to 77 games in the regular season, Puig only played twice over the last five weeks of the regular season because of a strained hamstring.

In the first three games of this NLDS, Puig had two at-bats. He struck out in both.

Asked whether he saw anything in recent days that made him think Puig could contribute offensively, Mattingly came close to acknowledging the only reason he was playing was because Matz was left-handed.

“Obviously, we haven’t seen a bunch of at-bats,” Mattingly said. “We knew with him on the roster, if they had a lefty going that he’d be playing.”

Nice guy

Clayton Kershaw ran into Mets Manager Terry Collins on the field before Game 3. Kershaw said he had no idea whether he would start Game 4. A few minutes later, Mattingly told Kershaw he would indeed start, and Kershaw said he hoped that Collins did not believe he had lied.

“That’s the kind of kid he is,” Collins said, laughing. “Like I don’t think he is pitching. I could have told him he was pitching. I could have beaten Don to the punch.”

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