 Appleton also performed well as a batter with .354 batting average for the Royals.After a good showing in Montreal, Appleton was drafted by the Washington Senators in the October 1935 Rule 5 draft.Appleton won three games for the Senators in April 1936, the opening month of the 1936 season, including a two-hitter against the defending 1935 World Series champions the Detroit Tigers.