Major League Baseball (MLB) will drastically strengthen the crackdown on foreign substances by pitchers starting this season.

According to ESPN’s report on the 17th (Korean time),스포츠토토 MLB Samuk-guk announced to 30 clubs and players that “from 2023, we will strengthen the crackdown on the use of illegal foreign substances by pitchers.”

The media explained, “This year, referees will conduct more meticulous foreign body inspections (foreign material inspections started) more frequent inspections than in the past 21 months.”

The umpires will randomly inspect pitchers’ fingers (including rings), hats, gloves, belts, and trousers in case of any suspicious circumstances. A pitcher may be inspected before or after an inning pitched, and a manager may request an umpire to inspect a pitcher before or after at-bat.

As the crackdown on foreign substances becomes stricter, measures are taken more swiftly.

ESPN said, “If an umpire observes a pitcher trying to wipe his hands before being tested, he may be ejected immediately for attempting to hide a foreign object.”

In June 2021, MLB judged that the majority of pitchers were ignoring the rules prohibiting the use of foreign substances, and launched a large-scale crackdown.

After the test started, pitchers’ ball rotation decreased, but in the second half of last season, some pitchers’ rotation increased again.

ESPN said “

Michael Hill, Major League Baseball’s senior vice president of field operations, emphasized, “If the use of foreign substances is discovered, the team and its officials will be subject to disciplinary action.”