Diamondbacks' Caleb Smith Suspended 10 Games for Having Foreign Substance on Glove

MLB Senior Vice President for On-Field Operations Michael Hill announced that Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Caleb Smith has received a 10-game suspension and an undisclosed fine after umpires discovered a foreign substance on his glove during his team's 4-2 home win against the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 18.

However, Smith has chosen to appeal the decision, so any punishment is temporarily halted until that case is finalized. The suspension would have started Tuesday.

Upon checking Smith after the reliever finished the eighth inning, the umpire crew determined that left-hander had foreign substances on his glove, leading to an ejection.

Smith was infuriated after hearing the news and had to be restrained. He spoke after the game.

"I’m not stupid," Smith said, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today. "I know the two main things they check is your glove and your hat. If I was using something, and I wasn't, I wouldn't put it on my glove or my hat. That's just ignorant."

He added: "If they say they find something on it, that's bulls--t, because there’s nothing on it. If I was cheating, I'd own up to it."

Crew chief Tom Hallion disagreed. 

"The two spots were a foreign substance that had a sticky feeling to it and on the leather lacing on heel [of the glove]," Hallion said. "That's why we all inspected it and agreed it was a foreign substance that was sticky, and that's why he was ejected."

The glove was shipped to MLB's office in New York for further examination, leading to the suspension decision.

Smith is the second pitcher to be ejected this year for foreign substances, with Seattle Mariners left-hander Hector Santiago getting tossed on June 26 versus the Chicago White Sox.

Smith is 4-8 with a 5.20 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 34 games.