In Houston, Texas, Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco faced ejection at the onset of the fourth inning in a game against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night following a foreign substance check.
The ejection occurred when third base umpire Laz Diaz inspected Blanco’s glove before he threw a pitch in the fourth inning and subsequently ejected him from the game. There was a brief discussion at the mound involving the umpires, Blanco, and Houston manager Joe Espada before the right-hander was removed from the game.
Blanco’s glove was confiscated by first base umpire Erich Bacchus, who took it off the field for inspection before returning.
Before his ejection, Blanco gestured by patting his hands together in front of the umpires as they examined his glove. He repeated the motion after being tossed from the game.
Blanco, known for his no-hitter in his season debut, had pitched three scoreless innings and allowed four hits while striking out one before being replaced by Tayler Scott. With a season ERA of 2.09, Blanco’s ejection came while the Astros were leading 1-0.
Since Major League Baseball (MLB) began enforcing rules against foreign substances in June 2021, Blanco is likely to face a 10-game suspension for the infraction.
