This past Sunday, Seattle Mariners left-hander Héctor Santiago was ejected in a game against the Chicago White Sox after umpires determined that he had a foreign substance on his glove. Santiago came into the game in the third inning after the game had been suspended, due to rain, a day earlier. He was ejected with his team leading 2-1. He had only pitched 2 1/3 innings, striking out four.
Santiago’s glove was confiscated by the umpires and he was ejected from the game. The glove was wrapped up and is being sent out for further testing.
Just a Matter of Time
It was just a matter of time before we would see a pitcher ejected. MLB instituted new rules on looking for substances on June 15. All 30 clubs received notification of a “uniform standard” that included regular checks of all pitchers. Under the rule, umpires are allowed to regularly check all pitchers whether or not opposing managers ask for it. Any pitcher who possesses or applies foreign substances is in violation of the rules. They will be ejected from the game and automatically suspended for 10 games.
Santiago Lobbies for a Shot
After his release by the Detroit Tigers organization on July 21, 2020, Santiago thought his MLB career was over after nine seasons. With his variety of pitches including a four-seam fastball, a curveball, a slider, and a screwball, he thought for sure someone would offer him a minor league contract with an invitation to Spring Training for 2021. After no team called, he sent his resume to all 30 MLB teams letting them know he was available and that he stayed in shape physically. He kept his arm in shape by pitching in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean Series. That turned out to work for him because five days before the Triple-A season began, Seattle offered him a minor-league contract and he was at Tacoma ready to pitch again.
Mariners Call Him Up
The Mariners called him up on May 27 due to injuries and an already overused bullpen. They’d also lost four key relievers to the COVID-19 injured list. In addition, their starting rotation has seen injuries and inconsistency. The Mariners have used 11 starting pitchers and with 139 games started in his MLB career, Santiago could be used as a spot starter to fill in the void. He could fill a need as a long reliever and a set-up pitcher for them as well. He could come in at any time and pitch multiple innings.
Pitching Well
Before his ejection, Santiago was pitching well out of the bullpen. He posted a 2.65 ERA in 17 innings with 23 strikeouts in nine appearances. His fastball was hitting between 94 to 96 MPH and was getting a lot of ground-ball outs. He was also mentoring other bullpen pitchers on pitch selection and the aspect of pitching in close games.
Without Santiago
Héctor Santiago ejected now means the Mariners could be without him for 10 games. They cannot replace him on the roster if he is, in fact, guilty of using a foreign substance. This could be a tough setback for them. They have depended greatly on their bullpen. Due to that bullpen success, they are a surprise team that is currently four games over .500.
Final Inspection
MLB personnel will now further examine the glove used in the game. The glove was due to arrive in New York on Monday for evaluation by league officials. Santiago and his manager Scott Servais gave an interview after the game. After the game ended both Santiago and Servais mentioned in the interview that only rosin was used to help him grip the ball which is allowed by MLB. If that’s the case, Santiago will be back with the team. If not, then we’ll see how MLB handles the infraction.
“Main Photo”
Embed from Getty Images
Players Mentioned:
