Red Sox's Sonny Gray Reportedly Was Investigated by MLB Over Potential Use of Sticky Substance

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray drew some attention on social media for appearing to have a sticky substance on his neck during last week's wild card loss to the New York Yankees.

However, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reported that MLB investigated the matter, and Gray "obviously passed in-game standard checks without penalty, which suggests he is in the clear." Cotillo added that "any discipline would likely have been levied by now anyway."

Regardless of whether Gray tried to use a sticky substance, it didn't help the Red Sox much as they suffered a 9-2 loss to get swept out of the playoffs. Gray lasted 4.2 innings and gave up two earned runs on six hits with five strikeouts.

After the game, Gray didn't address the substance on his neck, but he made it clear that he wasn't happy with being pulled from the game after throwing just 70 pitches.

"I think I'm the best pitcher in the American League going through the order a third time. I think that's a fact," Gray told reporters. "I would have liked to have been trusted in that moment. ... I felt good. I felt crisp. I felt sharp. I think I got clipped for a solo home run and then some singles, but I felt like I stayed on the attack throughout. I'm frustrated, for sure. You know, not ready for it to end. A lot of emotions."

On Monday, Red Sox manager Chad Tracy took the blame for his quick hooks of Payton Tolle in Game 1 and Gray in Game 2.

"The decisions are mine," Tracy said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. "Not one time since I've been here has anybody scripted a game or has anybody told me to use this number right here to decide in this inning. Those decisions, they're mine. So, as far as that specific one [in Game 2 with Gray], that didn't, obviously, go great. That falls on me. Do we have data analytics? Of course we do. Everybody does. Is somebody standing there pushing me, saying you need to do this, this, and this? Absolutely not."

While Gray likely won't face punishment for the questionable substance, he will have to spend the entire offseason wondering what could have been if Tracy allowed him to finish off his playoff start against the Yankees.