Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Ronel Blanco was ejected Tuesday night for using a foreign object in his hand.
At the start of the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics, the umpires met briefly with Blanco and manager Joe Espada, but the pitcher was poorly maintained.
Blanco’s glove was confiscated, and first base umpire Erich Backus ran off the field with it and took it somewhere.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Ronel Blanco, No. 56 of the Houston Astros, is ejected in the fourth inning of a game against the Oakland Athletics on May 14, 2024 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. (Logan Riley/Getty Images)
Before being sent off, Blanco held out his hand and patted his glove in front of the umpires while they inspected it, and did the same after he was tossed.
Four referees then discussed the issue, and eventually Blanco was canned.
Major League Baseball cracked down on foreign bodies in 2021, simply because pitchers were too dominant against sticky foreign bodies. These substances are used to increase the amount of spin, which increases the break of the ball and leads to a decrease in offensive power.
Blanco has been a diamond in the rough for the Astros this season. Tuesday marked his 15th start and 32nd appearance in the majors. However, he pitched a no-hitter in his first start of the season earlier this year and has an impressive ERA of 2.08.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco, 56, is stopped by the second base umpire after being ejected for a foreign body test in the bottom of the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 in Houston. Talk to Trip Gibson. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Marlins fans protest owner after trading two-time batter of the year amid corrupt season start
However, since the latest crackdown, he is the sixth pitcher to be ejected for contaminating a pitcher with a foreign substance. According to MLB regulations, he will likely be suspended for 10 games.
The crackdown came to a bit of a head last year when Max Scherzer, then of the New York Mets, was ejected for using only a combination of sweat and rosin. Rosin is a legal substance, but sweat is inevitable during baseball season. However, this guy creates a sticky atmosphere when the two come together.
Although Scherzer swore repeatedly that he did not use any foreign substances, the referee said the feel of his hands was “inconsistent” with just sweat and rosin.
Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco, 56, reacts after being ejected before the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park. (Eric Williams-USA TODAY Sports)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Domingo German was also ejected and suspended last year after playing three perfect innings. Ironically, he had a perfect game the following month.
The season continues to be tough for the Stros, who are off to a 15-26 start after seven consecutive seasons in the ALCS.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital X sports broadcastplease subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.
