Houston Astros' Ronel Blanco Fined, Suspended 10 Games For Using Foreign Substance

Ronel Blanco was ejected from the Houston Astros' game against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday, and now the emerging ace will miss the next 10 contests as well.

May 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (56) reacts after being ejected prior to the fourth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Minute Maid Park. | Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

MLB has suspended Houston Astros pitcher Ronel Blanco 10 games for violating the league's illegal foreign substance policy against the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday night.

Blanco had allowed four hits and one walk through 3.0 scoreless innings before the umpires met up to check his glove in the fourth. The 30-year-old right-hander pled his case to home plate umpire Laz Diaz and his crew, insisting that it was just rosin and sweat, but he was ejected nonetheless.

"It was the stickiest stuff I’ve felt on a glove since we’ve been doing this for a few years now," first base umpire Eirch Bacchus told reporters after the game.

In addition to the suspension, Blanco has also been fined an undisclosed amount.

Blanco was well on his way to another gem before he got tossed, as he has been the highlight of the Astros' rotation so far in 2024.

In his first appearance of the season, Blanco tossed a no-hitter. Four of his next six outings wound up being quality starts, and he finished just one out shy of the threshold in the other two.

Blanco is 4-0 with a 2.09 ERA, 1.056 WHIP, 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings and a 2.1 WAR this year. He will likely miss his next two starts, however, so it remains to be seen if he can stay hot upon his return.

Prior to this season, Blanco had tossed just 58.1 innings at the MLB level. The late bloomer did his best to keep Houston afloat when Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez were on the injured list earlier in the year, but the club still got off to its worst start in decades, despite Blanco's best efforts.

The Astros went on to beat the A's 2-1 on Tuesday, moving them to 5-1 over their last six games. Houston can clinch a series victory with another win over Oakland on Wednesday, although they will remain in fourth place in the AL West regardless of the result.

First pitch is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. ET. Valdez is set to take the mound for the Astros.

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