Diamondbacks pitcher Caleb Smith has glove confiscated, gets ejected for use of illegal foreign substances

PHOENIX — Diamondbacks reliever Caleb Smith became the second player this season to be ejected for the illegal use of foreign substances on his glove in Arizona's 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night. He faces a 10-game suspension.

The expected suspension will not be official until MLB reviews the information and speaks to the umpiring crew.

On Wednesday, the umpiring crew gathered for several minutes, taking turns examining Smith's glove, before ejecting him in the eighth inning. Smith vehemently argued on the field, and told D-backs manager Torey Lovullo that he was not cheating, while reiterating his stance after the game, saying it was only dirt and perspiration.

“I’m not stupid," Smith said. “I know the two main things they check is your glove and your hat. If I was using something, and I wasn’t, I wouldn’t put it on my glove or my hat. That’s just ignorant.’’

Crew chief Tom Hallion said that all four umpires agreed that Smith was using a foreign substance when they checked his glove after he came off the mound in the eighth inning. They found two dark spots, one on the left side of the heel of the glove and the other on the right side.

“The two spots were a foreign substance that had a sticky feeling to it and on the leather lacing on heel [of the glove]," Hallion said. That’s why we all inspected it and agreed it was a foreign substance that was sticky, and that’s why he was ejected."

The glove will be shipped to the commissioner’s office in New York. He would be paid during the suspension, but the Diamondbacks would be left a player short on the 26-man roster.

“Look, I believe my player," Lovullo said. “I’m going to stand by my player. He told me there was nothing malicious happening. I asked to see his hand. There was nothing suspicious. His hand was bone dry. He just maintained those little areas, those little hot spots, were a result of the rosin bag.

“It’s in the league’s hands. They’ll get the glove examined, determine what was there, and see what caused that stickiness."

Hector Santiago of the Seattle Mariners has been the only player suspended from baseball this season for using an illegal foreign substance on June 29. He appealed the suspension and lost.

The umpiring crew that ejected and suspended Santiago was the same one that ejected Smith on Wednesday. Lovullo said he appreciated the way the crew handled it, with Hallion showing Lovullo the suspicious spots on his Smith’s glove.

“The umpires called me out, making sure I understand why they were questioning the glove," Lovullo said. “There were a couple of spots in there, hot spots.

“It was a little bit sticky when I touched it."

Smith is adamant there was only dirt, and no foreign substance on the glove, and will appeal if he’s suspended.

“If they say they find something on it, that’s bull ...’’ Smith said, “because there’s nothing on it. If I was cheating, I’d own up to it."

Phillies manager Joe Girardi, who asked for Max Scherzer to be checked for a possible foreign substance when he was pitching for the Washington Nationals, said he was unaware of any suspicious behavior during Smith’s outing.

Smith, who was removed from the D-backs starting rotation after his Aug. 6 start against the San Diego Padres, began showing dramatic improvement in his last two appearances. He yielded just four hits and one unearned run in 5 1/3 innings against the San Diego Padres on Aug. 12, and he gave up one hit and one run in 2 2/3 innings Wednesday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caleb Smith ejected for use of illegal foreign substances on glove