Despite Milwaukee relief pitcher Will Smith seeing his eight-game suspension reduced earlier in the day, Orioles left-handed pitcher Brian Matusz saw his ban upheld by Major League Baseball on Friday.
Matusz began serving his eight-game suspension for having a foreign substances on his right forearm in a May 23 game in Miami. His appeal hearing took place in Houston on Wednesday with executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter in attendance.
He will be eligible to return on June 14 in a game against the New York Yankees.
The Orioles will now play a player down on their 25-man roster as Matusz sits for the next eight games. Showalter told reporters in Cleveland that the lefty pitcher will likely go to Sarasota to stay in shape over the next week.
To say the least, it’s curious that Smith saw his suspension reduced to six games while Matusz still received eight games from MLB. Showalter had expressed optimism earlier in the week that his pitcher’s discipline would be lessened.
In 18 1/3 innings in 2015, Matusz has posted a 1-2 record with a 3.44 ERA, but he has walked 11 batters compared to 14 strikeouts. The southpaw has allowed four of eight inherited runners to score this season.
The Orioles promoted relief pitcher Cesar Cabral from Triple-A Norfolk to give themselves another left-hander in the bullpen.
