TORONTO – Brett Lawrie is sitting out so the Toronto Blue Jays can move on.

Lawrie decided to rescind his right to appeal a four-game suspension Thursday after the Blue Jays third baseman hit an umpire with his helmet during a game earlier this week.

The Langley, B.C., native had initially decided to appeal the suspension and undisclosed fine for bouncing his helmet off the turf into home plate umpire Bill Miller while arguing strike calls during Toronto’s 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

But Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos said on a conference call that after Lawrie apologized to Miller it became clear there was no guarantee the suspension would be reduced, and that everyone wanted the issue settled.

“When you start to factor all that in, why continue to extend this process? Why let this continue to be a topic? Why let this continue to hang over Brett’s head and hang over the team’s head?,” said Anthopoulos, who added Lawrie made the decision to waive the appeal.

“It just seemed like the best thing to do at this time and Brett certainly agreed.”

Lawrie was replaced at third base for Thursday’s game against the New York Yankees by call-up Yan Gomes, who also plays catcher and first base and is batting .359 with 12 doubles, five home runs and 22 RBI in Las Vegas.

Gomes’ appearance will make him the first Brazilian-born player to appear in a major league game, while Lawrie will be eligible to return Monday.

Adam Lind could be gone a lot longer than four games.

The first baseman was demoted to triple-A Las Vegas after struggling through 34 games with a meagre .186 batting average, six doubles, three home runs and 11 RBI.

The six-foot-two, 212-pound player, who is making US$5 million this season, had just six hits in 13 games in May. Anthopoulos said Lind’s swing was fine from a mechanical standpoint, and that his problems with timing are mental.

“I can tell you Adam cares as much as anybody,” said Anthopoulos. “It was wearing on him. I think you can see it with his play on the field, his body language. I know he hasn’t slept well.

“It doesn’t always necessarily take a player snapping a bat over his knee or beating a watercooler to show that he’s upset … it’s weighed on him quite a bit.”

Anthopoulos cited the demotion of designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion to the minors two years ago as an example of how the move can help a player.

Encarnacion will take over for Lind at first base, while Ben Francisco stepped into the DH role Thursday.

Anthopoulos said he hoped for Lind to make a quick return to the Blue Jays, and that the demotion might bring about the answers Lind is searching for more quickly.

“(Lind) understood,” said Anthopoulos. “I think one of the things he said was, ‘I know I have to perform better. I know I have to play better.”’