Sangmu Pitcher Kim Ki-jung Ejected in Pro Baseball's First Foreign Substance Violation

South Korean professional baseball has seen its first-ever case of a pitcher being caught and penalized for using a foreign substance.

Sangmu pitcher Kim Ki-jung (whose parent club is the Hanwha Eagles) started the 2026 Futures League (Farm League) away game against the Goyang Heroes at the Goyang National Baseball Training Center today (July 25). After completing the bottom of the fourth inning with his team trailing 2-4, he was subjected to a foreign substance check by the umpires.

The umpires discovered a foreign substance on his glove and ordered Kim to be ejected.

According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), this marks the first time an ejection has been issued for a foreign substance violation across both the first and second tiers of professional baseball.

Under KBO operational guidelines, Kim automatically receives a 10-game suspension.

It remains unknown what substance was found on Kim's glove or whether there was any intent to violate the rules.

A KBO official stated, "We are currently verifying what the substance found on Kim's glove actually was."

The issue of pitchers using foreign substances came to the forefront in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2021.

Several baseball figures exposed that numerous pitchers covertly used sticky substances such as pine tar, applying them to their gloves, inside their caps, or on their belts.

Throwing a ball with a foreign substance is known to increase spin rate, velocity, and movement, giving pitchers an advantageous effect.

In response, the MLB office introduced a system where umpires check pitchers' hands and gloves during games, and the KBO also established related operational guidelines through its second Rules Committee meeting in December 2022.

Since the 2023 KBO season, starting pitchers have been subjected to foreign substance checks at least twice per game, and relief pitchers at least once per appearance.

Coincidentally, Go Woo-suk, who is playing in Minor League Baseball in the United States, was also ejected on the same day for violating foreign substance regulations.

Right-handed relief pitcher Go Woo-suk of the Triple-A St. Paul Saints (Minnesota Twins affiliate) took the mound as the team's third pitcher in the top of the seventh inning during a home game against the Columbus Clippers (Cleveland Guardians affiliate) at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minnesota.

After inspecting Go's hands and glove, the umpire ruled that there was a foreign substance inside the glove and ordered his ejection.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.