Mariners Pitcher Denies Cheating After Sticky Substance Ejection, MLB Examining Glove

It took a week, but a pitcher was finally ejected for violating MLB’s rules against using sticky substances. Seattle Mariners reliever Hector Santiago was tossed in the middle of Sunday’s game against the Chicago White Sox when umpires found what they believed was an illegal substance on the left-hander’s gloves.

Six days prior, umpires began to check pitchers for foreign substances as they walked off the mound. Santiago is the first pitcher to be ejected in the 2021 season for such a violation.

“What we do is we go around the whole glove, feeling for anything that would be sticky or something,” crew chief Tom Hallion said, via ESPN, after Seattle’s 3-2 win over Chicago. “It was very noticeable, and then the rest of the crew inspected to make sure we were all in agreement. All four agreed that it was a sticky substance, and that's why he was ejected.”

Santiago’s glove was confiscated and is scheduled to be evaluated by MLB officials in New York on Monday. According to Santiago, the league won’t find anything that he isn’t allowed to use during a game.

“All I used was rosin,” Santiago said of the substance, which is a solid form of resin that comes from pine trees and some other plants. “I used it on both sides, trying to keep that sweat from dripping down to the hands.”

Rosin is available for pitchers to use on the mound as they try to get a better grip on the baseball. Using other substances, such as sunscreen and Spider Tack, is against the rules and could result in a suspension.

“Once they take it back and check it, it's just sweat and rosin,” Santiago said. “If they’re going to do all this science stuff, it’s going to be sweat and rosin. We'll be all right.”

Santiago surrendered an earned run during 2.1 innings of work. The veteran allowed four runners to reach base in the fifth inning before he had his glove inspected.