ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers starting pitcher Vicente Padilla dropped the appeal of his seven-game suspension and started serving it Thursday night.
Padilla was suspended Tuesday for intentionally throwing at Oakland's Nick Swisher, who then charged the mound in the first inning of Sunday's game in Oakland. Swisher was suspended three games, and has already sat out two games.
Before he dropped his appeal, Padilla started Wednesday night in a 4-2 loss at Minnesota. The right-hander pitched five innings and took the loss.
Padilla (6-10, 5.76 ERA in 23 starts) was scheduled to start Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels. Manager Ron Washington said rookie Armando Galarraga, who came to Texas from Washington in the December 2005 trade that sent Alfonso Soriano to the Nationals, would likely make his first major league start in Padilla's place.
Washington also said Padilla, who will be eligible to pitch again for the season-ending series at Seattle, isn't scheduled to start a game against the Mariners.
"We might use him out of the bullpen in Seattle," Washington said. "That is the only way he will pitch if he does pitch."
Padilla, who rarely speaks with reporters, wasn't in the clubhouse before the game after the team announced that he had dropped the appeal.
In eight starts since coming off the disabled list because of right triceps irritation, Padilla was 3-2 with a 3.86 ERA.
Padilla got a $33.75 million, three-year contract after winning 15 games for the Rangers last season. In his four starts before going on the disabled list June 25 for 51 days, he allowed 42 hits and 19 earned runs (10.26 ERA) over 16 2/3 innings his last four starts.
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