On Wednesday, Max Scherzer became the latest casualty of MLB’s policy against foreign substances.
During the game between the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Scherzer was ejected for having a foreign substance in his hands.
More than likely Scherzer is headed for a 10-game suspension.
Two of the umpires that were part of the crew for Wednesday’s game have stated that Scherzer’s situation was the most obvious case of a pitcher using a foreign substance.
Those umpires are Dan Bellino and Phil Cuzzi.
Interestingly, both Bellino and Cuzzi have been at the center of controversy in recent years.
Last season, Bellino had to apologize to Madison Bumgarner for “unprofessional behavior.”
Cuzzi is also the only umpire to have ejected a pitcher for having a foreign substance.
On Twitter, Mets analyst Danny Abriano took note of this interesting fact.
Here’s the umpires whose word we’re taking on the Max Scherzer “stickiness” situation:
Dan Bellino, who had to apologize for his unprofessional behavior towards Madison Bumgarner last season
Phil Cuzzi, who is the only umpire to eject a pitcher under the new rules
Crazy
— Danny Abriano (@DannyAbriano) April 20, 2023
Umpires began to crack down on foreign substances during the 2021 season.
That year, Cuzzi ejected Hector Santiago, who was issued a 10-game suspension.
To make matters worse for the Mets, they will not be allowed to add another player to fill Scherzer’s roster spot.
Scherzer himself claimed that he was simply using rosin, which is legal.
As Abriano notes, both Cuzzi and Bellino are the umpires who have made claims about Scherzer using a foreign substance.
And given their history, it may be difficult to take their word for it.
Either way, it appears that Scherzer will not be able to avoid a suspension, but will be allowed to file an appeal.
NEXT:
Max Scherzer Is Sticking To His Story After Ejection
