Andrew Marchand, ESPN Senior Writer 10y

Rapid Reaction: Pineda banned 10 games

BOSTON -- Michael Pineda has been suspended 10 games for his use of pine tar in Wednesday's Yankees-Red Sox game.

Punishment fits the crime: In 2005, the Angels' Brendan Donnelly was hit with 10 games for having pine tar in his glove. In 2012, the Rays' Joel Peralta received an eight-game suspension for having pine tar on his glove. So 10 games for Pineda seems about right.

What it means: It is a permanent blemish on Pineda's career, but it doesn't hurt the Yankees that much in the short term. The Yankees have two off days the next 10 games, so essentially Pineda will miss only one start.

Innings limit: Pineda has to live with being universally panned for doing something that was, to put it kindly, not very smart. However, he is coming off shoulder surgery and the Yankees have planned to be careful with his innings, so this might not be the worst thing for him as he attempts to last the whole season.

Psyche: Pineda's psyche could be impacted by the events. When he arrived in 2012 after the huge trade for Jesus Montero, he seemed overwhelmed by the amount of media attention the Yankees command.

After shoulder surgery and two years off, he seemed to have a better understanding of all that it entails to be a Yankee. Now, though, the media glare on him will be a little bit stronger because of his infamous stunt Wednesday night. He will have to keep maturing.

Wake-up call: Yankees GM Brian Cashman said it best when he stated the organization let Pineda down. Somehow manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Larry Rothschild have to figure out a better way to get their messages across.

Pineda has made a fine attempt to learn English, but it is still his second language and it is obvious during interviews he still struggles with understanding certain words. It is on Girardi and Rothschild to figure out a way to communicate better with Pineda. They bear a lot of the responsibility for Wednesday night's events.

^ Back to Top ^