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New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was thrown out of Wednesday’s rubber match against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to an umpire apparently finding sticky stuff on the pitcher’s glove.
The 38-year-old multiple-Cy Young winner and future first-ballot Hall of Famer promptly blew a gasket upon being tossed from the game prior to the start of the fourth inning. Scherzer was replaced by Mets reliever Jimmy Yacabonis.
Max Scherzer has been ejected from today's game for using an illegal foreign substance on his glove
(via @SNYtv)pic.twitter.com/zjPSL2RJcf
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) April 19, 2023
Scherzer has famously been against the idea of pitchers using illegal substances, especially following the introduction of pitcher checks a few seasons ago. Some fans on Twitter have been speculating that the sticky stuff came from the adhesive that’s holding the pitch comm device inside of his glove.
SNY sideline man Steve Gelbs also reported that Scherzer was adamant that the substance on his hand was “rosin, “which is allowed by MLB as a tool to manage perspiration on a pitcher’s hand.
"He was adamant to the umpires, shouting constantly: 'it's just rosin'"@SteveGelbs reports from the field on Max Scherzer's ejection pic.twitter.com/IA25PA1iE9
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 19, 2023
Needless to say, given Scherzer’s reputation in the game, MLB fans were obviously skeptical that he’s now been caught cheating during his age 38 season.
Tossing Max Scherzer for possibly having a sticky substance after how adamant he was about not using any when the league first introduced sticky checks is quite the plot twist. pic.twitter.com/yZTCGnCJnO
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) April 19, 2023
Max Scherzer seen saying “It’s Rosin” along with the fact that the tape he used the inning before to tape the PitchCom to his hand is on his LEFT. Keep in mind this is also his second glove of the game.
Max Scherzer is 100% correct. Disgraceful. #LGM pic.twitter.com/olw3bUypY2
— Dan Bartels (@DanBartels2) April 19, 2023