A Sticky Situation: MLB pitchers recently suspended for foreign substances

Throughout the course of the last few decades, it can seem like pitchers are getting the short end of the stick. Smaller ballparks, potentially juiced baseballs, and pitch clocks have tilted advantages towards the hitter. MLB also forbids the use of foreign substances(usually sticky) by pitchers to enhance their grip on the baseball. A few hurlers have been caught doing this in recent years.

The future Hall of Famer was banned for 10 games for the violation earlier this season, making him the highest-profile pitcher on the list by a mile. The three-time Cy Young award winner has been dominant right through his mid-thirties, although this incident has not prompted questions about his overall legacy.

The New York Mets had a second pitcher disciplined for this infraction, as Drew Smith was also suspended 10 games in June. This is a particularly painful turn of events for the Mets, who are already dealing with the loss of closer Edwin Diaz. Smith’s lack of availability during this stretch really shortens the bullpen for New York.

There must be something in the water in New York, as New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German was also suspended for this violation. He received the highest fine from MLB as well for his transgressions, as his wallet was docked nearly $140,000 as a result. After a stellar 2019, German is still looking to get back to that form.

Despite the flurry of suspensions in 2023 for sticky substance detection, we have to go back to 2021 to find the next most recent incident. That involved Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Caleb Smith, who had to miss 10 games in August of that campaign. Smith has also played for the Yankees and the Miami Marlins in his MLB career.

Santiago had a very eventful summer in 2021. Not only was he suspended 10 games for using a foreign substance to enhance grip on the baseball, he was also banned 80 games for using performance enhancing drugs. It would end up being his final season in the major leagues, after having pitched from 2011-2019 for a few different teams.