SEE IT: Scherzer appears irritated by first substance check originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
As Major League Baseball begins its new policies toward foreign substances for pitchers, a new normal will be starting pitchers having their gloves, hats and other areas checked after the first inning.
Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer is not a fan.
After striking out the side against the Philadelphia Phillies to begin his Tuesday start, the umpires stopped Scherzer on his way back to the dugout. The pitcher promptly threw his hands up in the air as to say “what is going on?”
Scherzer was quickly cleared and allowed to proceed, but it’s clear that even the notion of him using a banned substance is enough to upset him. He’s not the only one to go through it though, as Jacob deGrom and every other starter is subjected to the same fate.
The new rules come at a time when the league is trying to crack down on substances used by pitchers to potentially enhance the movement and grip. It’s something not everyone agrees with, as Rays ace Tyler Glasnow believes the changes led to his injury and that a majority of pitchers use substances to control the baseball, not gain an advantage. It’s a notion Mike Rizzo supports, as he wants “universally accepted” substances.
The first-inning check of Scherzer proved just one thing, he didn’t need any help striking out the top of the Phillies lineup. He’s just that good.