Baltimore Orioles: Brian Matusz Suspended Eight Games, Will Appeal

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On Monday, MLB announced that Baltimore Orioles pitcher Brian Matusz will be suspended for eight games after he was ejected from the game on Saturday night when a foreign substance was found on his arm. Matusz will appeal the suspension.

Earlier this week, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Will Smith was also ejected from a game with a foreign substance on his arm, and he suffered the same eight games. Smith is also currently in the middle of an appeal.

Due to Matusz’s incident occurring so soon after Smith’s, the Orioles actually have somewhat of an advantage. When Matusz is suspended, the Orioles will lose his roster spot and go through that stretch of games with a 24-man roster. Once Smith’s appeal is heard, the Orioles will have a very good idea what Matusz’s final suspension will be, and they can plan accordingly.

Still, this is a big loss for the Orioles, because Matusz is a big arm coming out of Buck Showalter‘s bullpen. If a game goes extra innings, or a starter gets taken out of a game early, Matusz can give the Orioles multiple innings out of the bullpen.

This will also have an effect on Matusz long after his suspension ends. When a similar incident happened last year involving New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda, it’s pretty easy to assume that he was very careful about what little advantages he tried to take every time he stepped to the mound.

Coming out of the bullpen, Matusz will see some big spots in the 7th inning or later in games, and he knows all eyes will be on him. If a manager feels he can get an edge by taking Matusz out of the game, he just might if there’s even a hint of cheating.

One thing’s for sure, there will be a definite impact on the Orioles for the next week or two, but this is a serious subplot for those who follow the Orioles, and it will continue to be all season long.

Next: A Look at Unwritten Rules in Baseball

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