New York Yankees starting pitcher Clarke Schmidt Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Another Yankees hurler was caught using foreign substance

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 5/19/23

For the second time this week, umpires have caught a New York Yankees hurler using a foreign substance.

During Friday's contest between the Yankees and Cincinnati Reds, umpires found something they deemed illegal on pitcher Clarke Schmidt. However, unlike his teammate Domingo German on Tuesday, Schmidt wasn't ejected but was instead asked to wash his hands before returning to the game. Unsurprisingly, the decision to allow Schmidt to stay in the game sent Reds manager David Bell over the edge.

Bell argued that Schmidt should not be allowed to stay in the game before getting himself ejected.

After disputing the umpires' decision to allow Clarke Schmidt to remain in the game, David Bell gets tossed. pic.twitter.com/VwdY1ZHJQT
— Bally Sports Cincinnati (@BallySportsCIN) May 19, 2023

Bell's beef isn't without merit, but MLB has let pitchers like Max Scherzer wash their hands in similar situations. However, therein lies the problem. A lot remains unclear since MLB's crackdown on "sticky stuff," like how umpires decide who can and can't stay in a game when caught using something potentially illegal.

It's hard to say what umpires found on Clarke during Friday's game. However, if he used something to add a little extra to his pitches, the numbers back it up. According to Codify Baseball, 69 percent of Schmidt's curves and sweepers spun at 3,000 RPMs or faster, up 21 percent from his last start on May 14.

While Schmidt avoided ejection on Friday, he may not get away from punishment altogether. Scherzer and German received mandatory 10-game suspensions for using a foreign substance, and Schmidt is likely to face the same fate.

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