May 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (56) prior to the game against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
MLB: Oakland Athletics at Houston Astros
HOUSTON — Ronel Blanco told reporters late Tuesday that he plans to appeal his automatic 10-game suspension.
Blanco was ejected by third base umpire Laz Diaz during Tuesday’s start against the Athletics, and his glove was confiscated, following a foreign substance check at the outset of the fourth inning.
“Everybody checked the glove to make sure we all had the same thing and he had to get ejected because he had a foreign substance on his glove,” Diaz said.
Diaz said they didn’t know what the substance was.
“We don’t determine that,” he said. “We just felt it was sticky, sticky enough that our fingers got stuck. So now it’s all up to the office on what it was and all that.”
Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters afterwards that Blanco had a mixture of rosin and sweat on his glove hand, which is illegal under league rules.
The 30-year-old righty has denied using an illegal substance, but is still facing an automatic 10-game suspension under league rules, which he plans to appeal. There should be a resolution on the matter at some point later this week.
“Just probably rosin I put on my left arm,” he said in Spanish through an interpreter. “Maybe because of the sweat it got into the glove and that’s maybe what they found.” “What I told them is, ‘If you found something sticky in my glove you should also check my hands because it should also be on my hand,'” Blanco said. “‘Just check my hand,’ and he didn’t.”
Blanco, who threw a no-hitter in his season debut, allowed four hits and struck out one in three scoreless innings Tuesday. He has a 2.09 ERA this season.
