Stroman drops appeal; suspension cut to 5 games

NEW YORK (AP) Toronto pitcher Marcus Stroman dropped his appeal of a six-game suspension from Major League Baseball, and the penalty was cut to five games.

MLB penalized Stroman on Wednesday and fined the 23-year-old rookie for throwing a pitch two days earlier that sailed past the head of Baltimore's Caleb Joseph. Stroman's pitch came a half-inning after Joseph blocked the plate as Jose Reyes slid home.

Stroman (11-6) started Saturday and beat the New York Yankees. He will be eligible to pitch in Friday's series opener against the Orioles.