Michael Pineda Yankees MLB
New York Yankees Pitcher Michael Pineda has been suspended 10 games by the MLB 'for possessing a foreign substance on his person.' Reuters

One day after being ejected from an MLB game due to the finding of a foreign substance on his body, New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda learned he’ll miss the next 10 games after receiving a strict suspension from Major League Baseball. The 25-year-old -- who entered Fenway Park Wednesday evening in Boston with a 2-1 record and 1.00 ERA in 2014 -- found himself involved in a similar situation just 13 days earlier, when postgame reports concerning an unknown substance on Pineda’s pitching hand became the main topic of discussion across the world of professional baseball.

Television cameras spotted a dark substance on his right hand in New York’s April 10 victory over the Boston Red Sox and even though nothing pressing came of it, the story followed both teams back to Boston two weeks later, but in the second inning of Wednesday nights tilt, pine tar was discovered on Pineda’s neck. With Grady Sizemore at the plate facing a 1-2 count and Boston already ahead 2-0, Michael Pineda was ejected from the game, leaving many pondering how he could involve himself in the same situation just days after it became a widely discussed matter.

According to MLB Rule 8.02, a pitcher shall not “bring his pitching hand in contact with his mouth or lips while in the 18 foot circle surrounding the pitching rubber” while MLB rule 8.02 (b) states that the same pitcher may not “have on his person, or in his possession, any foreign substance. For such infraction of this section (b) the penalty shall be immediate ejection from the game. In addition, the pitcher shall be suspended automatically.” Though many players will use pine tar to get a better grip of the ball, MLB rules prohibit utilizing the substance in order to gain a competitive edge.

Michael Pineda Yankees 2014
Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda walks off the mound after being ejected for the use of pine tar in New York's 5-1 loss to rival Boston. Reuters

Due to his ejection for the use of pine tar -- a substance Pineda admitted to having on his neck while pitching early in New York’s 5-1 loss -- the Dominican Republic native will now be forced to miss the next few starts for a New York Yankees club playing well early in the season. Discussing the matters with reporters at his postgame press conference, Red Sox manager John Farrell said he could tell something was on Pineda’s neck from the dugout.

“You could tell from the dugout that something was on his neck,” Farrell said. “And given what happened the last time we faced him, I felt like it was a necessity to say something. I fully respect that on a cold night you’re trying to get a better grip but when it’s that obvious something needs to be said. Our awareness was heightened given what we’ve seen in the past, we had the spot where it was located, I pointed it out, and it was taken care of. As obvious as this was, I felt it needed to be checked at the time.”

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