Yunel Escobar Suspended Three Games And Other MLBullets

The latest from around the League ...

• Yunel Escobar, for whatever reason, decided to write an anti-gay slur on his eye black for Saturday's game. The term he used, in Spanish, apparently has a nuanced meaning, but the consensus was clear enough that the Blue Jays decided Escobar needed to be suspended, and to apologize publicly, as he did yesterday. The salary Escobar loses will be donated to charities, including the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, and he'll head to sensitivity training. The reactions, of course, have been many. Commissioner Bud Selig thought the Blue Jays responded appropriately, and added, "I expect those who represent MLB to act with the kind of respect and sensitivity that the game's diverse fan base deserves." At least one columnist in Toronto was not impressed with Escobar's convoluted explanation/apology. Danny Knobler says now the Blue Jays will desperately try to dump Escobar this offseason. For my part, Escobar made a serious mistake - one that suggests underlying issues present not only in Escobar's mind, but probably in clubhouses throughout MLB - and the Blue Jays were right/wise to act quickly. Was a serious enough response? Shrug. Not sure about that part.

• Ken Rosenthal just reported that the Orioles are promoting super prospect Dylan Bundy, who'd been pitching in instructionals, to the big club to help down the stretch. He is 19, and has crazy good stuff.
• Clayton Kershaw's troublesome hip is vexing the Dodgers. At least one medical expert says Kershaw can continue to pitch without risking further damage to his hip, but, on the other hand, the Dodgers aren't crazy about letting him pitch through pain. Meanwhile, it's hard to come back in a playoff race without your best pitcher.
• Nick Piecoro, writing for Baseball Prospectus, wonders whether it's fair - from a rooting perspective - to be all that excited about the Orioles' improbable season, given their negative run differential and the method by which their team was built. It's an interesting, counterintuitive read.
• Ozzie Guillen hopes he's brought back in Miami next year. Significant changes are expected after the organization went nuts on spending, only to come up with another losing record.

Brett Taylor is the Lead Writer at Bleacher Nation, and a Contributor here at Bleed Cubbie Blue.