It happens all the time. A major-league player is suspended for some sort of bad behavior. He appeals said suspension and continues to play for a time. Sometimes this lasts until the player’s team goes to New York, so he can meet with MLB officials. (Someone please tell these officials about teleconferencing, though those are probably blacked out in MLB offices. But that’s another story.)

Anyway, this all has to do with Joel Peralta, who did steps one (bad behavior), two (got suspended) and three (appealed).

Friday, Peralta did what major-league players occasionally do, step four:

#Rays confirm Peralta has dropped appeal, starts serving suspension tonight

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) June 22, 2012

He’s out for eight games and will miss the Rays’ upcoming series against the Phillies and Royals and the first two games of a series next week against the Tigers.

Peralta’s appeal lasted one day until he dropped it. Truth be told, he’d probably have been better off starting it on Thursday, since he wound up giving up a pair of runs to the Nationals when the game was tied 2-2 and was the losing pitcher.

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