John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
The Mets lost again on Tuesday night to the Yankees, their ninth loss in their last 10 games. On top of all of their other woes, the Mets will now be without one of their top relievers for over a week as Drew Smith has officially been suspended 10 games for having sticky substances on his hands as he came in to pitch.
Smith’s ejection is the second time the Mets have to deal with a suspension for foreign substances after Max Scherzer was also popped for 10 games earlier this season.
Smith desperately pleaded his case to no avail to the umpires before his ejection, and continued to do so after the game. Smith indicated that an MLB official that checked his hands laughed and told him there was “nothing there.”
Drew Smith says the MLB official who checked his hands in the tunnel after his ejection laughed and said there was "nothing there" pic.twitter.com/U6X3ZVBQNa
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 14, 2023
Smith wasn’t the only person incredulous about his ejection. In the broadcast booth, Ron Darling and Gary Cohen both commented on the the inconsistency in which the sticky substance checks are applied, and Darling went as far as to say he believed Scherzer’s suspension from earlier this season was targeted.
Gary Cohen, “It was almost as though they were making an example of Max (Scherzer).”
Ron Darling, “I believe 100% they were targeting Max.”
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) June 14, 2023
Scherzer also shared his thoughts on Smith’s suspension after the game saying “I think we’re all angry about this one. You feel his hand, you don’t feel anything…. He’s been cleared by every other umpire and now all of a sudden, he’s getting thrown out.”
After the game, Newsday’s Tim Healey reported that David Robertson also noted that he had his hands checked by umpire Bill Miller who also told him he had sticky hands, which Robertson called “shocking.”
Unfortunately, until MLB comes up with a scientific way of testing for stickiness, it’s going to continue to come down to the umpire’s discretion. Depending on who you are talking to, the Mets have either been caught twice this season trying to get an unfair advantage, or they have been twice the victim of an overzealous umpiring crew that’s overreacting to legal substances. Either way, it’s been a massive blow to the team both times, and is the last thing they needed when they’re going through such a miserable stretch.
Although Smith has been up and down this season, he still clearly has trust from Buck Showalter, as he has appeared in 26 games, tied for the third-most among Mets relievers. In Smith’s absence, pitchers like John Curtiss, Dominic Leone, and Jeff Brigham will likely get more high-leverage opportunities. The Mets will have to hope they’re ready for them.
