Brian Matusz ejected for having foreign substance on arm
Baltimore Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz was ejected in the 12th inning of Saturday’s 1-0 loss to the Miami Marlins after umpires discovered a foreign substance on his non-throwing arm.
Matusz was in his first inning of work and had already retired Justin Bour and J.T. Realmuto when new Marlins manager Dan Jennings emerged from the dugout to request that Matusz’s right arm be checked for the substance. Home plate umpire Jordan Baker and crew chief Paul Emmel complied and quickly discovered the substance. Matusz was immediately ejected.
It’s the exact scenario that played out with Milwaukee Brewers reliever Will Smith on Thursday, which makes it all the more baffling that Matusz would carelessly leave the substance on his arm. Smith was levied an eight-game suspension, so it’s safe to assume Matusz’s impending punishment will follow suit.
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As Yahoo’s Jeff Passan documented last season when New York Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda was suspended for having a glob of pine tar on his hand, it’s not uncommon for pitchers to use pine tar or a mix of sunscreen and rosin to help them achieve a better grip. Though illegal, opposing teams routinely dismiss it because they also prefer the pitcher to have a solid grip.
It’s only on the rare occasion when the substance is visible that teams seem to make a fuss about it, and even then it’s a rarity. But now that we’ve seen it twice in one week, perhaps pitchers will have to refine their foreign substance routines.
Another factor in play here might be desperation on the part of Jennings, who had gone winless through his first five games as Marlins manager. Maybe it’s a little, “look at me, I’ve got my finger on the pulse on this game” to show fans he’s capable of handling the job.
If so, he got the fans’ attention alright, but he also got the attention of the Orioles and Matusz.
“I have my own personal opinions about the issue but right now with emotions running high, we’re going to let this settle and address questions at a later time,” Matusz said to MASN Sports.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell said the best redemption against the Braves would be getting a victory, which they did on Friday. Not to suggest the Orioles will go a different route, but it will be interesting to see what happens in Sunday’s series finale.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
