OF Jonny Gomes has dropped the appeal he filed concerning his five game suspension for the incidents in Thursday night's game against the Boston Red Sox. He will begin serving the suspension tonight, reports Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times. There is the chance that the suspension could be reduced by a game, but without any guarantees Gomes will start serving a suspension that could render him ineligible to play until the Rays return home on Friday night to face the Florida Marlins.

Meanwhile, RHP Jamie Shields, who has also filed an appeal of the suspension handed down to him, has not dropped his appeal and is still slated to start Tuesday evening's game in Anaheim. Topkin speculates that, following that game, Shields will drop his appeal and sit for the subsequent six games. It is unclear how the Rays will adjust their rotation to compensate, with RHP Jason Hammel a strong possibility to get a spot start.