Only had sweat and rosin

Max Scherzer contends that his hand was sticky during his start on Wednesday because of the combination of sweat and rosin, nothing else.

The Mets ace was ejected before the bottom of the fourth inning of the team’s win over the Dodgers because umpire Phil Cuzzi thought the right-hander’s hand was too sticky, Scherzer said.

Scherzer said after the second inning his hand was clumpy from the rosin-sweat combination and he then washed his hand with alcohol.

“I knew I was gonna be checked in the fourth, so I’d have to be an absolute idiot to try to do something when I come back out for the fourth,” Scherzer told reporters.

Scherzer said he washed his hands and reapplied the rosin and sweat with an MLB official watching before going out for the fourth inning.

When he was questioned again about his hand, he said he swore to Cuzzi, who also asked the pitcher to change his glove because there was too much rosin on it, that his hand was sticky just because of sweat and rosin.


Max Scherzer said his hand was sticky only from sweat and rosin during Wednesday’s start.
AP

Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was ejected before the bottom of the fourth inning on Wednesday.
Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was ejected before the bottom of the fourth inning on Wednesday.
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

“I don’t know what you want me to do,” Scherzer said.

Mets manager Buck Showalter said Scherzer was just using rosin.

“It’s a substance that’s very legal,” Showalter said. “Wiped it off, washed it. I don’t know. Phil’s certainly been a guy that’s known for that. We’ll see.”


Max Scherzer was ejected by umpire Phil Cuzzi.
Max Scherzer was ejected by umpire Phil Cuzzi.
USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

An ejection for illegal use of a foreign substance can by rule lead to a 10-game suspension, which can be appealed.

Scherzer’s agent, Scott Boras, issued a statement on Scherzer’s ejection to The Post’s Joel Sherman.

“MLB standards and rules enforcement should mandate and require an objective verifiable standard,” Boras said. “If you want to attack the integrity of the competition you need clear precise standards else you damage the game and it players. The Cuzzi on field spectrometer is not the answer. MLB needs to employ available scientific methods (not subjective) to create verifiable certainly of it rules.”