WASHINGTON -- Jose Urena will start against the Nationals on Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park while appealing his six-game suspension, which Major League Baseball handed down Thursday after Urena intentionally hit Atlanta's Ronald Acuna Jr. with a pitch Wednesday.
Pablo Lopez, who was slated to start Sunday, will start Tuesday against the Yankees at Marlins Park after the team's off-day Monday.
Marlins manager Don Mattingly said Urena will not pitch during the team's four-game series against the Braves between Aug. 23-26. Elieser Hernandez will replace Urena in the rotation, Mattingly added. Urena could drop his appeal after Sunday.
With his first and only pitch Wednesday, Urena struck Acuna's left elbow with a 97.5-mph fastball, causing both teams' benches to clear. The right-hander said he didn't intend to hit Acuna.
"Obviously with the appeal pending, depending on which way that goes, he could possibly be 10 days without really basically pitching," Mattingly said. "Getting him a start and getting him on the mound we feel like is beneficial for him and for us, obviously.
"On the back end of that, it gives Pablo and Trevor Richards an extra day. They're getting an extra day anyway, but we're feeling like this time of year, both those young guys, anytime we can give them extra days, we'd like to do it."
Urena has hit 11 batters this season, which leads the National League. In 2017, Urena paced the Majors with 14 hit batsmen.
Injury updates
• Kyle Barraclough said he felt good throwing off the mound Saturday afternoon. Mattingly said Barraclough will throw again before the Marlins decide to activate the right-hander or send him on a rehab assignment.
Barraclough has been on the disabled list since Aug. 10 with lower back stiffness.
"In general, we feel like he's a little rusty still on the mound," Mattingly said.
• Martin Prado, who went to the disabled list on Aug. 14 with a left quad strain, began baseball activity Friday with hitting, throwing and jogging.