YANKEES PITCHER MICHAEL PINEDA SUSPENDED 10 GAMES FOR HIDING PINE TAR ON HIS NECK DURING RED SOX GAME

MICHAEL PINEDA

Michael Pineda will have time to decide where to hide pine tar or accept that he can never use it again.

Major League Baseball suspended the Yankees right-hander for 10 games Thursday, and it’s highly unlikely the pitcher or the club will appeal the sentence.

Less than two weeks after television cameras spotted pine tar on Pineda’s right hand while facing the Red Sox on April 10 in The Bronx, the cameras picked up pine tar on the right side of Pineda’s neck in the second inning Wednesday evening at Fenway Park.

At Red Sox manager John Farrell’s request — something he restrained from doing the first time – umpire Gerry Davis went to the mound, touched the neck and politely ejected Pineda from what turned into a 5-1 Yankees defeat.

Because Monday is a day off, the Yankees won’t need a fifth starter until May 3 against the Rays at Yankee Stadium — if Pineda started the suspension Thursday night.

CC Sabathia, who is scheduled to start Thursday night against the Red Sox, can go on regular rest on April 29. That means Sabathia would be working on three days’ rest on May 3, and that is something Joe Girardi won’t do this early in the season.

David Phelps, who replaced Pineda on Wednesday night, is a strong candidate to take the May 3 start, but that will depend on how much Girardi needs the right-hander who has pitched very well out of the bullpen after competing for the fifth starter spot Pineda won during spring training.

Joe Garagiola Jr., Senior Vice President of Standards and On-Field Operations for MLB, made the announcement.

If the suspension is appealed, the discipline issued to Pineda will be held in abeyance until the process is complete. If he does not appeal, Pineda would be eligible to return May 5.