Astros News: Ronel Blanco gets ejected after umpires find foreign substance in glove against Athletics 

Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco was asked to leave the field by the umpiring unit in the top of the fourth inning against the Oakland A's on Tuesday night. Blanco was sailing through the game with three shutout innings against Oakland when the four umpires convened on the mound to confront him and his suspecting glove.

The umpiring staff at the mound discussed the matter for some time, soon after which they ejected Blanco from the game. His left-hand glove was taken away for further inspection.

Here's a look at the whole dramatic top-of-the-fourth inning scenes from Minute Maid Park:

In the video, a hapless Ronel Blanco was seen trying to explain to the umpires that it was rosin, which is the only official sticky substance that can be used by pitchers in the big leagues.

The white bag on the mound behind the pitchers contains rosin, which is a sticky substance derived from the sap of fir trees that helps pitchers battle sweat and moisture to maintain a firm grip on the baseball.

Despite Ronel Blanco's countless pleas, he got tossed out of the game as third baseman Alex Bregman jumped in to ask for an explanation from the officials, but it was all in vain. Manager Joe Espada was forced to make a pitching change as Tayler Scott stepped up to the bullpen next.

Ronel Blanco has been one of the most reliable starters for an underperforming Astros unit this season

Ronel Blanco made an emphatic start to his 2024 campaign with the Astros as he pitched a complete no-hit game against the Toronto Blue Jays on April 1, 2024.

Since then, he has registered three more wins, with the latest one coming against the New York Yankees on May 10, 2024. He is 4-0 in eight starts this season for the Astros, with an ERA of 2.23, 41 Ks and 1.02 WHIP.

Tuesday night's ejection came as a surprise to many, as the Houston staff will be hopeful that any decisions taken on Blanco do not aggravate their problems any further, as 2024 has been a disastrous campaign for the Astros (16-25) so far.