Dan Duquette on Machado's suspension and the Reimold situation

Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette provided reporters with a briefing just before game time to discuss Manny Machado's suspension and Nolan Reimold's status. On Machado's appeal being upheld: "We were disappointed. We were hoping the suspension would be reduced and we thought there were good reasons it should have been reduced. Basically, we argued for equity and that we would have an even footing with other clubs that we're competing against. But that argument didn't seem to carry any weight. So his suspension starts tonight. "You know, I was encouraged by how Manny was playing. Looked like he was getting his timing down at the plate. But we have some other good athletes on the team. Chris Davis has a lot of experience in the minor leagues at third base. We have some other guys doing a good job that will now get more opportunity." On why there was no reduction in the suspension: "It sounded like they were giving four games for the bat and were also giving him an additional game for Friday night. I hadn't heard of a case where they went back and retroactively applied a suspension because the umpires didn't recommend any discipline in that game Friday night, because Manny stayed in the game obviously. So that was kind of puzzling." On why Duquette considers this a gross inequity: "Well, if the umpire had warned their pitcher after the first throw, then on the second throw, they could have ejected the pitcher and been in a position to suspend that pitcher, even if he didn't hit our player. "But without giving a warning, their pitcher, under the set of rules that defines these discipline matters, they didn't have the leverage to suspend that player. Our player ended up bearing the brunt of the incident with the five games and really our team suffers because now we are without that player and are playing with a 24-man roster. So we argued for equity with Major League Baseball." On whether a decision has been made regarding Reimold: "We are still talking to Nolan and trying to figure out a way to keep him with the ballclub. He's completed his rehab and we are going to try to get that resolved in the next couple of days." On whether a decision was needed today: "We recalled him from his rehab assignment. So in the next day or so, we have to reinstate him to our active roster or do something else with his contract." Duquette did confirm that if Reimold was waived and cleared waivers, he could be sent to the minor leagues and could not refuse that assignment. Duquette on former Orioles general manager Frank Cashen, who died today: "I also wanted to say that the Orioles lost an excellent executive in Frank Cashen today. Frank was a mentor to me. Andy MacPhail, myself, Dave Dombrowski, Bill Stoneman, we used to go out to dinner with Frank every year at the general manager meetings. "Frank is a great story teller and regaled the audience with great stories about his time in Baltimore. Of course he went on to the commissioner's office and then had great success with the Mets. "Frank was a terrific mentor to young executives and the Orioles owe him a debt of service and certainly our condolences go to his family."