Reds Pitcher Ashcraft Told to Remove Wedding Band During Foreign Substance Check

Reds pitcher Graham Ashcraft was informed of a newly enforced MLB rule during a confusing scene early in Saturday’s home matchup against the Brewers.

As the right-hander exited the mound after the top of the first inning, Ashcraft was stopped by first-base umpire John Tumpane for a routine foreign substance check. As Tumpane examined the pitcher’s hands, he observed a silicone wedding band on Ashcraft’s glove hand, and promptly asked him to remove it.

Ashcraft, who married his fiancée Emily in January 2021, could be seen asking Tumpane, “Since when?” as he continued his walk to the dugout. The 24-year-old didn’t leave the band far behind, though, as he finished the contest with it looped around his necklace.

After the game, the bewildered pitcher explained his conversation with Tumpane to the media.

“The first base umpire comes up, checks my right hand as normal. Then he asks me to take my glove off and saw my ring. He goes, ‘You have to take your ring off,’” Ashcraft said, per The Athletic. “I was like, ’No, why do I have to take my ring off? I shouldn’t have to.’ Then apparently it’s some new rule they came up with yesterday.”

According to the MLB rulebook, pitchers “may not attach anything to either hand, any finger or either wrist (e.g., Band-Aid, tape, Super Glue, bracelet, etc.)” under any circumstances. Although the policy itself is not new, Reds manager David Bell later told reporters he recently received a memo about the rule which umpires began enforcing league-wide as of Friday.

“Thankfully nothing bad happened,” Bell said after admitting he could’ve done a better job of enforcing the rule. “It was nice that they just warned him and made him aware of it.”

Ashcraft, in his sixth start of the season, pitched five innings in the Reds’ 7-3 loss, notching four strikeouts and surrendering six earned runs on eight hits.