NEW YORK — Seattle Mariners pitcher Hector Santiago became the first player disciplined under Major League Baseball’s crackdown on grip-enhancing foreign substances, given a 10-game suspension Tuesday.
Michael Hill, the former Marlins’ general manager who is senior vice president for on-field operations, announced the penalty two days after Santiago was ejected from a game at the Chicago White Sox. Santiago also was fined an undisclosed amount.
He appealed the decision to MLB special adviser John McHale Jr., and the suspension will be delayed until the appeal is decided.
Santiago, a 33-year-old left-hander, is in his 10th major league season, his first with the Mariners.
Under a crackdown that started June 21, all pitchers are being checked by umpires during games and Santiago was examined as he exited in the fifth inning.
Crew chief Tom Hallion said then that Santiago was ejected for “having a foreign substance that was sticky on the inside palm of his glove.” The pitcher said what the umpires found was a combination of rosin and sweat.
Santiago started this season at Triple-A and made his big league season debut with the Mariners on June 1. He is 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA in nine games.
Seattle will not be allowed to fill Santiago’s spot on its 26-man roster roster during a suspension and will play a man short while a penalty is served.
GIANTS: Pitcher Gregory Santos was suspended for 80 games without pay under Major League Baseball’s drug program following a positive test for Stanozolol.
The 21-year-old right-hander made his big league debut on April 22 and was 0-2 with a 22.50 ERA in two innings over three games when he was optioned to the minors six days later.
He is 1-1 with a 5.17 ERA in 14 relief appearances for Triple-A Sacramento.
Santos will lose about half his salary, which is $46,600 while in the minor leagues and the $570,500 minimum while in the major leagues.
He became the third player suspended this year under the major league program, after Miami pitcher Paul Campbell and Colorado third baseman Colton Werker.
ANGELS: The family of former Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs filed lawsuits in Texas and California charging the team and two former employees with negligence in his drug-related death two years ago.
The lawsuits – filed by Skaggs’ parents in Texas and his wife in California – name the Angels’ organization as well as former Los Angeles communications directors Tim Mead and Eric Kay as defendants. Neither complaint specified how much money the family is seeking.
Skaggs, 27, was found dead in his suburban Dallas hotel room on July 1, 2019, before the start of what was supposed to be a four-game series against the Texas Rangers.
Kay was indicted by a federal grand jury in October on drug charges for allegedly providing Skaggs with the drugs that caused his overdose death.
Kay was charged with drug distribution and drug conspiracy in Skaggs’ overdose death, according to the indictment in Fort Worth, Texas. The charges carry a maximum of a life sentence and 20 years in prison, respectively. His trial is set to begin Aug. 16.
A coroner’s report said Skaggs had choked to death on his vomit with a toxic mix of alcohol and the drugs fentanyl and oxycodone in his system, which Kay was accused of providing.
Kay was the Angels’ director of communications, and he served as their public relations contact on many trips. He was placed on leave shortly after Skaggs’ death, and he never returned to the team.
Mead was Kay’s boss, and the lawsuits allege Mead knew about Kay’s issues with drug addiction, including that he was distributing drugs to players.
Mead’s attorney Eric D. Vandevelde denied the allegations.
WHITE SOX: The Chicago White Sox placed Jake Lamb on the 10-day injured list and reinstated fellow outfielder Billy Hamilton from the IL.
The White Sox also recalled first baseman Gavin Sheets from Triple-A Charlotte and optioned outfielder Luis Gonzalez to their top farm club.
The 30-year-old Lamb has a strained right quadriceps. He is batting .224 with five homers and 10 RBI in 31 games in his first season with Chicago.
TRADE: The Toronto Blue Jays acquired injured outfielder Corey Dickerson and reliever Adam Cimber in a trade with the Miami Marlins.
Miami obtained infielder Joe Panik and minor league reliever Andrew McInvale.
Dickerson is sidelined with a bruised left foot and is expected to be in a walking boot for at least two more weeks. He is batting .260 with two homers and 14 RBI. Jesus Sanchez had taken over in left field during Dickerson’s absence.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
