Astros' Ronel Blanco Suspended 10 Games by MLB After Foreign Substance Ejection

After being ejected from Tuesday's start in the fourth inning for having a foreign substance on his glove, Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco has been suspended for 10 games by MLB.

The league announced Blanco's discipline on Wednesday. Chandler Rome of The Athletic noted that Blanco said after the Astros' 2-1 win over the Oakland Athletics yesterday he planned to appeal any suspension.

Before throwing a pitch in the top of the fourth inning, Blanco was ejected after the umpires found a foreign substance on his glove during a routine inspection.

First base umpire Erich Bacchus, who confiscated the glove and put it somewhere before returning to the field, said afterward the substance was "the stickiest stuff I've felt on a glove."

Bacchus noted there was no substance on Blanco's glove when he did an inspection after the top of the first inning, but he "felt something inside the glove" during the fourth-inning inspection.

MLB announced an updated enforcement policy for foreign substances being used by pitchers prior to the start of the 2022 season. The rule was in response to the league discovering the use of substances was "more prevalent" than anticipated.

The new enforcement policy includes random checks of a pitcher's glove, hat, belt, fingers and hands by the umpires during games. The inspection will usually take place between innings.

Laz Diaz, crew chief for the A's-Astros game, said the umps don't determine what the substance is during the inspections.

"We don't determine that," he said. "We just felt it was sticky, sticky enough that our fingers got stuck. So now it's all up to the office on what it was and all that."

Speaking to reporters after the game, Blanco denied using any illegal substance.

"Just probably rosin I put on my left arm," Blanco said through an interpreter. "Maybe because of the sweat it got into the glove and that's maybe what they found."

Blanco has been a bright spot for the Astros so far this season. He has already started a career-high eight games, including throwing a no-hitter in his first start on April 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 30-year-old ranks third in the AL with a 2.09 ERA in 47.1 innings. He had a 4.78 ERA in 58.1 innings over the past two seasons combined.