LEADING OFF: MLB crackdown coming, deGrom up, Glasnow down

A look at what’s happening around the majors Wednesday:

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GET A GRIP

Now that Major League Baseball has detailed the coming crackdown on illegal substances, pitchers must get prepared to command their stuff without the same sort of tacky aides.

The commissioner’s office announced that pitchers will be ejected and suspended 10 games for using illicit sticky stuff to better their grip on the baseball. Increased enforcement begins Monday.

Responding to record strikeouts and a league batting average at a more than half-century low, MLB said Tuesday that major and minor league umpires will start regular checks of all pitchers, even if opposing managers don’t request inspections.

While suspensions would be with pay, repeat offenders would receive progressive discipline, and teams and club employees would be subject to discipline for failure to comply.

“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,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.

RIGHT ON SCHEDULE

Jacob deGrom (6-2) is set to take his regular turn for the New York Mets against the Chicago Cubs after leaving Friday’s outing with right flexor tendinitis. A precautionary MRI showed no problem, Mets manager Luis Rojas said.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner has a 0.56 ERA, the lowest ever for a pitcher through 10 starts. He permitted one hit in six innings last week against San Diego, extending his shutout streak to 22 innings. He has 103 strikeouts and eight walks in 64 innings.

The right-hander has fired 128 of his...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/LEADING-OFF-MLB-crackdown-coming-deGrom-up-16250850.php