Yankees’ Sabathia hit with five-game ban

Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia has been suspended five games for hitting a Rays batter, a penalty that is set to take effect at the start of next season.

Sabathia has appealed the ban that was issued Saturday by Major League Baseball.

Sabathia will be available for the American League wildcard game against the A’s on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium.

Sabathia was penalized for hitting catcher Jesus Sucre in the leg leading off the bottom of the sixth inning at Tropicana Field on Thursday.

The 38-year-old lefty was ejected, and the benches cleared.

Sabathia was cruising with a big lead when he got tossed. He needed two more innings to trigger a $500,000 bonus for pitching 155 innings this season.

In the fifth inning, Sabathia hit Jake Bauers in the wrist with a pitch. In the top of the sixth, Rays pitcher Andrew Kittredge threw up and in to Yankees catcher Austin Romine.

Kittredge was suspended three games and fined. Sabathia also was fined an undisclosed amount.

Kittredge said it was likely he would appeal. The regular season ends Sunday. Yankees set record: Gleyber Torres homered in the fourth inning against the Red Sox on Saturday, the Yankees’ 265th home run of the season — a major-league record.

Torres’ drive to right off Eduardo Rodriguez moved New York past the 1997 Seattle Mariners for the most in a single season in MLB history.

Giancarlo Stanton pushed the record to 266 in the seventh with his 38th homer, a solo homer to left field.

Strop update: Cubs reliever Pedro Strop (strained left hamstring), who had been the team’s closer in the absence of injured right-hander Brandon Morrow, said he will not be available for the team’s crucial game against the Cardinals on Sunday, but that he hopes to be OK when the postseason opens.

Injured running to first on a double-play grounder at Washington on Sept. 13, Strop said he still experiences some discomfort on the landing while throwing off the mound.

“I expect to feel it a little bit,” Strop said. “But it was nothing major.”