Instead of standing atop a pitcher’s mound, Tampa Bay Rays Ace Tyler Glasnow sits on the DL (It’s the DL people it’s not the IL) with a partially torn UCL and Flexor strain in, of course, his pitching arm. If it was his glove side we wouldn’t be here would we? But let’s digress. MLB is cracking down on “Sticky substances” and sent out a memo addressing the consequences of the use of not just Spider Tack but any and all things not rosin.
Verdict from the MLB
“After an extensive process of repeated warnings without effect, gathering information from current and former players and others across the sport, two months of comprehensive data collection, listening to our fans, and thoughtful deliberation, I have determined that new enforcement of foreign substances is needed to level the playing field,”
Manfred added,
“I understand there’s a history of foreign substances being used on the ball, but what we are seeing today is objectively far different, with much tackier substances being used more frequently than ever before. It has become clear that the use of foreign substances has generally morphed from trying to get a better grip on the ball into something else — an unfair competitive advantage that is creating a lack of action and an uneven playing field.”
Glasnow doesn’t mince words
This is not very comforting to Glasnow who is set to get a second opinion on his now bum elbow on Friday and is convinced his going “cold turkey” before taking his turn against the Washington Nationals two starts ago. Telling a throng of reporters on a Zoom call, after his MRI,
“I woke up the next day (after his 11 K outing vs the Nationals) and it was like, I am sore in places that I didn’t even know I had muscles in,” Glasnow said. “I felt completely different. I switched my fastball grip and my curveball grip. I’ve thrown it the same way for however many years I’ve played baseball.”
Glasnow wasn’t finished,
“I just threw 80-something innings, and then you just told me I can’t use anything in the middle of the year?” he said. “I have to change everything I’ve been doing the entire season. Everything out of the window, I had to start doing something completely new.“And then I’m telling you, I truly believe that’s why I got hurt. Me throwing 100 and being 6-7 is why I got hurt, but that contributed.”
Is this edict fair? I don’t really know, but I can tell you this. If a pitcher has to change his grips to get what he needs on the ball it can and more likely than not will affect the health of his throwing arm, Just like overcompensating for a minor issue by changing arm angle. It puts more stress on other areas. And whether you’re 6’7 or 5’7 throwing a baseball in or even close to triple digits in an unfamiliar way: that’s a recipe for disaster.