Nationals jettison Kelley after mound outburst during rout

WASHINGTON » Shawn Kelley’s outburst on the mound got him booted from the Washington Nationals.

The Nationals designated Kelley for assignment on Wednesday, a day after he threw his glove to the ground and glared into the dugout while working the ninth inning of a 25-4 blowout of the New York Mets.

Kelley entered the game with Washington leading 25-1. He appeared agitated and was working quickly, and he had already allowed a run when the plate umpire warned him to slow down. After the warning, he gave up a two-run homer to Austin Jackson, prompting the outburst.

“I thought (the way) he acted, portrayed on the field last night, was disrespectful to the name on the front of the jersey, the organization, specifically (manager) Davey Martinez,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. “You’re either in or you’re in the way. I thought he was in the way. That’s something you don’t come back from. It was a disrespectful act . ... ”

Kelley apologized for his actions afterward, saying he just wanted the game to end. “I was just trying to get through the inning and get the game over with,” Kelley said. “I thought everybody had seen enough baseball for one evening.”

Martinez said the decision to cut ties with Kelley was painful but necessary.

“Knowing what we did yesterday, scoring all those runs, everybody’s feeling good. He comes into the game, slams his glove, frustrated with everyone. That, to me, bothered me a lot,” the manager said.

Mets’ Matz to be evaluated

WASHINGTON » New York lefthander Steven Matz will be evaluated by doctors after experiencing forearm discomfort.

Manager Mickey Callaway said Wednesday that Matz reported the pain after he failed to get out of the first inning in Tuesday night’s 25-4 loss to the Washington Nationals.

Hechavarria cut by Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. » Slick fielding shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay to open a roster spot for outfielder Tommy Pham.

The 29-year-old infielder was hitting .258 with three homers and 26 RBIs, and he had lost his starting role to rookie Willy Adames.

Lawyer: Osuna to plead not guilty

TORONTO » A lawyer for pitcher Roberto Osuna, who is facing an assault charge, is taking issue with comments from the general manager of his client’s new team. Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said the club is “confident that Osuna is remorseful, has willfully complied with all consequences related to his past behavior” and has proactively engaged in counseling.

Osuna’s lawyer, Domenic Basile, said his client is remorseful of the circumstances but plans to plead not guilty.