ATLANTA (AP) – Milwaukee Brewers reliever Will Smith has been suspended for eight games for having a foreign substance on his pitching arm during a game at Atlanta.
Major League Baseball says Smith plans to appeal, so the penalty is on hold. Smith will be available for Friday night’s game at the Braves.
Smith was ejected for having rosin and sunscreen on his right forearm in the seventh inning of Thursday night’s 10-1 loss. He said after the game he put the substance on his forearm before warming up in the bullpen on a brisk night. He expressed regret for not wiping it off before entering the game.
It’s widely acknowledged pitchers use similar practices to grip the ball better even though it’s against the rules.