Astros pitcher Blanco suspended for 10 games after ejection for using foreign substance in glove

Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president of on-field operations, announced the suspension. Unless Blanco appeals, the suspension will commence Wednesday night. Along with the suspension, there is an undisclosed fine.

Blanco got kicked out of the game in the fourth inning of the 2-1 victory against Oakland on Tuesday. Umpires discovered a foreign substance on his glove, which first base umpire Erich Bacchus described as “the stickiest stuff I’ve ever felt.”

In the fourth inning, right-hander Blanco was ejected by third base umpire Laz Diaz after a check of his glove. Following this, there was a discussion between the umpires, Blanco, and Houston manager Joe Espada at the mound for a few minutes regarding the issue.

During the game, Bacchus confirmed that there was no foreign substance on Blanco’s glove when he inspected it in the middle of the first inning. However, upon conducting a second inspection before the fourth inning, Bacchus discovered the presence of the substance.

Bacchus exclaimed that he sensed something peculiar inside the glove. He described it as the stickiest substance he had ever encountered throughout their years of doing this.

Bacchus discovered the substance and immediately called the rest of the crew in for a conference.

According to Diaz, everyone examined their gloves to ensure uniformity, but the player in question was ejected due to the presence of a foreign substance on his glove.

Blanco insisted that he did not use any illegal substance.

“I think it might be the rosin that I applied to my left arm,” he explained in Spanish, with the help of a translator. “It’s possible that the sweat caused it to seep into my glove, which is probably what they discovered.”

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When Espada approached the mound, he noticed the presence of “white powder” inside Blanco’s glove.

When Espada grabbed the glove, he noticed something that caught his attention. It appeared to be rosin, a substance that is not allowed on the non-pitching hand. Upon closer inspection, he observed that it was slightly sticky due to the presence of moisture and sweat. This observation led him to believe that rosin was being used in an unauthorized manner.

In his season debut, Blanco showcased his incredible skills by throwing a no-hitter. In his most recent performance, he exhibited his dominance again, allowing only four hits while striking out one in three scoreless innings. As a result, Blanco’s impressive ERA for the season stands at 2.09.

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