Boston Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster received a five-game suspension and undisclosed fine for intentionally hitting the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez, Major League Baseball senior vice president Joe Garagiola Jr. announced Tuesday.

Dempster will not appeal the penalty and will begin serving the suspension Tuesday night.

Dempster threw one pitch behind A-Rod's knees on Sunday night and two more inside at Fenway Park. Then his 3-0 pitch struck Rodriguez's left elbow pad and ricocheted off his back.

"It sucks any time you get suspended, it's not a fun feeling to have," Dempster said. "[Not appealing] has to do with just taking my suspension and putting it [in the] past. There's no point in carrying out an appeal process. We've got other things to worry about."

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who also received an undisclosed fine for his argument with umpire Brian O'Nora, said Tuesday before his team's doubleheader against Toronto that Dempster needed to be suspended or it would be "open season" on Rodriguez.

"You just can't throw at someone because you don't like him or disagree with the way something's being handled," Girardi said. "If a player is suspended for throwing at someone, they're going to get their appeal. Are we going to throw that out, too? So, I mean, this is what's been negotiated."