WASHINGTON — The Washington Nationals say that assistant hitting coach Jacque Jones has been suspended with pay pending an internal investigation.

The team says the suspension is connected to a legal matter.

The club announced Jones' suspension less than a half-hour before the scheduled first pitch of Game 1 of Washington's NL Division Series against the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs on Friday night.

The 42-year-old Jones retired as a player in 2008 after 10 years with four teams.

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