[Yonhap]
[Yonhap]

Ko Woo-suk of the Minnesota Twins has been suspended after being ejected from a Triple-A minor league game over allegations that he had a foreign substance on his glove.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported Monday that Ko, pitching for the St. Paul Saints — Minnesota's Triple-A affiliate — was ejected after umpires found a foreign substance on his glove and handed a 10-game suspension. The ban is retroactive to Sunday.

Ko had taken the mound as his team's third pitcher in the top of the seventh inning of a home game against the Columbus Clippers, the Cleveland Guardians' Triple-A affiliate, at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minnesota on Saturday, with St. Paul trailing 2-3. He was removed before throwing a single pitch.

Umpires inspected Ko's glove as he walked to the mound, determined that a foreign substance was present inside it and ordered his ejection.

Ko appeared to protest his innocence, but the umpires confiscated his glove and ejected him from the game.

Major League Baseball began strictly cracking down on pitchers' use of foreign substances midway through the 2021 season. Umpires check pitchers' hands and gloves after each half-inning and during pitching changes to verify compliance.

Pitchers are permitted to use rosin for sweat management, but applying it directly to their glove or uniform is prohibited, as is combining it with other substances such as sunscreen.

Under MLB rules, a pitcher caught using a foreign substance is immediately ejected and automatically receives a 10-game suspension.

Ko had been playing exclusively in the minors since arriving in the United States in 2024 before Minnesota acquired him via trade. He joined the major league roster on July 8 and made his MLB debut against Cleveland on July 10.

After allowing three runs in one inning against Cleveland on Tuesday, he was sent back down to the minors. The ejection and resulting suspension have now cast serious doubt on his return to the big leagues for the foreseeable future.


min3654@heraldcorp.com