Weekend Digest: Weaver vs. Seager; Papelbon rips Phillies; Kang out in Pittsburgh

Jered Weaver ejected for plunking Kyle Seager

I thought games were supposed to be sped up this year! Apparently, no one told Kyle Seager. Wednesday in Seattle, Seager took his sweet time preparing to hit in the fifth inning against Jered Weaver, who mouthed off at Seager when he started taking too long in the batter's box. After a pitch, Seager dropped some f-bombs at Weaver and emphasized his calling for time in a not-so-subtle attempt to piss Weaver off more, and Weaver rewarded him with a "fastball" in the arm. Weaver was then ejected, but he still had some words post-game:

It's not when he's ready, it's when we're both ready. I was on the rubber ready to go, he's standing in the box. Just because he has his hands up doesn't really mean anything. If you're going to do that, step out of the box or keep a foot out or do something. When you've got both feet planted in there and you're looking at me, I assume that you're ready to go. I don't know if Derek Jeter did that in his third year or fourth year or not. I don't know. It seemed like he was ready and I was ready, so I was ready to make a pitch.

Seager's reaction:

It definitely escalated and he handled it the way he wanted to. But from my perspective he quit on his team and I didn't quit on mine. If you hit me there it was pretty obvious what was going to happen, he was going to be out of the game. I guess he was tired of pitching.

Reactions: Lookout Landing / Halos Heaven

Papelbon rips Phillies, then blows save

Jonathan Papelbon had some accusatory language directed toward his former team when the Nationals visited Philadelphia for the first time since his trade to the Nats: here's what he had to say:

When you've got one guy that's going down to Triple-A, one guy that's coming back from Triple-A next week, you've got different positions every week. That for me wasn't a formula for winning. We just had too many non-regular guys in there, and granted we did get hurt. But we didn't have the personnel, the leadership, the A-to-Z to win. It was felt all throughout the clubhouse, felt all throughout the stadium I believe.

The Nats were in town on Monday one calendar year to the day of Papelbon's last blown save, the "crotch grab" game, and wouldn't you know it? Papelbon blew the save, serving up a game-tying home run to Freddy Galvis in the 10th inning. The Nats ultimately won the game, but judging by the reaction at TGP, you wouldn't know it as the fact that Papelbon blew the save was enough reason to celebrate.

Papelbon can talk all the shit he wants. What matters to me is that he came back to Citizens Bank Park, insulted everyone, and was RIGHTEOUSLY OWNED. GOD IT FEELS SO GOOD. What's even better is that the Nationals are going to miss the postseason, and Papelbon, who constantly whined about wanting to be traded and finally got his wish, is going to miss it with them. I'M FILLED WITH EFFERVESCENT JOY. I WISH I COULD BOTTLE THIS FEELING AND BATHE IN IT FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. INSTEAD, I'M GOING TO WATCH THIS CLIP OF FREDDY GALVIS OWNING JONATHAN PAPELBON OVER AND OVER UNTIL I FALL DOWN.

Josh Johnson requires a third TJ operation

Johnson career is in jeopardy as he will require yet a third Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Johnson signed with the Padres following the 2013 season on a one-year $8 million contract; they brought him back this year on a $1 million deal. The Padres have poured $9 million into a pitcher who hasn't thrown so much as a single inning for them in two years. The list is short of pitchers who have successfully returned from three TJ surgeries.

Jung-Ho Kang has surgery on broken leg, will miss 6-8 months

Kang has been a reliable source of offense in the Pirates lineup with 15 home runs as they try to secure a playoff berth, but he underwent surgery on Thursday to repair a "displaced lateral tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscal repair" in his left leg suffered when Chris Coghlan slid into him at second base. Many of the fans at Bucs Dugout are up in arms over it, and took issue with Joe Maddon's comments about it. This is apparently nothing new for Coghlan, who injured Akinori Iwamura six years ago with a similar maneuver when Maddon managed the Rays.