Baseball notes: Kansas City’s Yordano Ventura suspended seven games

Four Kansas City Royals players and two from the Chicago White Sox were suspended by Major League Baseball for their roles in a brawl Thursday in Chicago. Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura was handed a seven-game suspension, fellow starter Edinson Volquez was given five games, outfielder Lorenzo Cain and reliever Kelvin Herrera two games each. White Sox pitchers Chris Sale and Jeff Samardzija were suspended five games. All are appealing the suspensions.

Jim Fanning dies

Jim Fanning, the longtime Montreal Expos executive who in 1981 managed the franchise to its only playoff appearance in Canada, died at age 87. Fanning was the Expos’ general manager when the team entered the major leagues in 1968 and spent 25 years with the franchise that moved to Washington in 2005 and became the Nationals.

Etc.

Oakland placed infielder Ben Zobrist on the 15-day disabled list because of torn cartilage in his left knee. . . . Boston outfielder Shane Victorino went on the DL with a right hamstring strain. . . . Toronto released left-hander Ricky Romero, a former All-Star slowed by knee injuries in recent seasons. . . . The Blue Jays made major league history by starting three Canadian-born position Saturday at Tampa Bay: catcher Russell Martin and outfielders Michael Saunders and Dalton Pompey.