By the time the umpires approached Max Scherzer for the third time within the first four inning Tuesday night, the Washington Nationals starter was visibly frustrated. He dropped his hat and glove to the ground, then began to unbuckle his belt.
He stopped short of pulling down his pants. But Athletics reliever Sergio Romo later that night didn’t, dropping his pants and showing the umpire — and everyone else — his underwear on the field. Those reactions likely weren’t how MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred wanted foreign substance enforcement to go.
All things considered, though, Manfred told The Athletic he’s pleased with how the first week of foreign substance checks have gone, despite the well-documented cases of Scherzer and Romo.