Fact Check: Was Michael Grove cheating against the Blue Jays? Dodgers pitcher asked to change pants by umpires

On July 24, Michael Grove took the bump for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Toronto Blue Jays. With some of his team's star starters on the IL, it was up to Grove to take care of one of the AL's hottest cluster of bats.

Some of LA's best pitchers, such as Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler's presence on the IL has opened the door for Grove. The 26-year old right-hander is a native of West Virginia, and played at UWV alongside Jays pitcher Alek Manoah.

Since the end of May, the Jays have gone 30-20, the best run of any AL team. It was the first time for the MLB's only Canadian team at Dodger Stadium since the 2019 season.

Out of the gates, Michael Grove was dealing. A pair of strikeouts in the first inning set the stage for him to keep the Toronto Blue Jays scoreless through 4. However, between the fourth and fith innings, Grove was asked to change his pants after home plate umpire Chris Segal noticed a dark spot on one of his legs.

"Looks like Michael Grove changed pants between the fourth and fifth innings. He gave up four hits and the game-tying run in the fifth, then got pulled" - Jomboy Media

After he returned to the game in the fifth inning, Michael Grove started to get lit up. RBI singles from Kevin Kiermaier and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led to Grove being yanked just two outs after returning with his new pants.

"Michael Grove definitely changed his pants in between innings" - Foul Territory

The inspection comes as MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has adopted a "zero tolerance policy" for foreign substances. Under MLB rules, rosin is the only enhancing substance that a pitcher can apply to his hands. Earlier this season, New York Mets ace Max Scherzer was suspended for ten games after umpires determined his hands were "the stickiest he had ever seen."

Grove was given a no-decision in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 6-3 extra inning loss to the Blue Jays. He now has a record of 2-2 alongside an ERA of 6.19 so far on the season.

Michael Grove highlights increased attentiveness to foreign substances

While it is not clear if Grove was using anything illegal, the nebulousness surrounding the foreign substance approach that the league is taking abides. Why is Scherzer suspended while others like Grove and Domingo German are merely asked to change? Drastic times for drastic measures, but the league appears to still be figuring themselves out.