Rizzo on Papelbon's suspension, Harper's role in altercation, Williams' future with Nats

Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo met with the media after the Nationals' 5-1 win over the Reds on Monday. It was the first time he had spoken publicly since the team suspended closer Jonathan Papelbon for four games without pay following Papelbon's physical altercation with Bryce Harper in the dugout during Sunday's game.

Rizzo explained the reasoning for Papelbon's suspension:

"We hold our players at a high standard. I always brag about the fact that you don't see our players' names in the newspaper except in your sports columns. So holding people to high standards is what we're all about. Every player acquisition we make, make-up and character are a big portion of the evaluation process. We felt that what happened in the incident in the dugout was unacceptable and we acted accordingly."

Will Papelbon be back with the team in 2016?

"He's under contract," Rizzo said. "We're going to evaluate every moving part that we have after the season and we'll make all those decisions once the final out is made in 2015."

Why was Harper held out of Monday's game?

"Bryce had some accountability in the issue. We felt to discipline Papelbon the way we did and not Bryce was unfair," Rizzo said. "You could see by the type of discipline that we placed on both players which was weighed the most. We felt that they're both equal and equitable ways to handle the situation."

Does Williams think the players association will appeal Papelbon's club-mandated suspension?

"We felt that it was important enough to make a statement that he was suspended for four games," he said. "What the players association does with that information is up to them."

Did he agree with manager Matt Williams putting Papelbon back in the game in the ninth inning after he scuffled with Harper in the dugout?

"I thought it was odd," Rizzo said. "But there's a lot of things going on in the dugout at the time. Matt missed it. He owned up to it. He said it was his fault. If he would've known, he wouldn't of put him back in. His job is to manage that area in the dugout and he made a mistake."

Did Rizzo think Harper should have been called out for allegedly not running hard to first base during a pop out to left field?

"I love the way Bryce Harper plays," he said. "I've got no problem with his effort level, the way he hustles. It is the job of the veteran players to point out where they think when you're not playing the game right. Pap must have felt that he wasn't and he called him on it. It takes a guy with some guts to call a player out nowadays.

"But Harp plays the game the right way. I have no problem with the way he plays. Wasn't it just the other day people were telling him that he plays too hard and we have to calm him down and not let him run so hard."

Did Harper deserve to be called out by Papelbon?

"He did not deserve it in my personal opinion," Rizzo said. "But in Jonathan Papelbon's opinion, he did. But in my opinion, he did not."

What does this say about Papelbon?

"I'm not going to judge his whole career by this one incident," the GM said. "It was unfortunate and unacceptable and I think the suspension says that."

Did Rizzo speak with Papelbon earlier today regarding the suspension?

"Yes, I was in contact with him today," Rizzo said. "He was upset with the suspension and we discussed about the nature of the incident how I felt it was an unacceptable way to handle yourself as a Washington National. We parted amicably. I left we will see him shortly after the season."

Harper told the media he was going to be off Monday anyway. How does Rizzo explain the announcement today that he was being held out of the game against the Reds because of the incident with Papelbon?

"Often times, when a player says he has got an off-day, he was told the day before by the manager," Rizzo said. "Even though we have an off-day, you're always available to play, pinch-hit or pinch-run or play defense. And often times, when you say your star is not going to play, you're going to give him the day and you lose that night he is often in the lineup the next day."

A recent Washington Post article had a few unnamed Nationals players quoted as saying that Williams has lost touch with the clubhouse. What did Rizzo think of that article?

"If I knew who that person was, I would respond to it," he said. "But some blind accusation from a unnamed source, I don't react to those."

Will Matt Williams going to return as manager next season?

"We're going to make the 2016 decisions after we finish 2015," Rizzo said. "He's under contract to be the manager next year."