Major League Baseball's crackdown on foreign substance usage has had an undeniable impact on the 2021 season: spin rates are down and offense is up, but so far the checks have only yielded a single ejection. That count is now unofficially at two—that is, if you include Lance Lynn's bizarre disqualification on Wednesday night.
After completing the fourth inning against the A's, Lynn walked toward the dugout and placed his hat and glove on the dugout rail to be inspected by the umpire. He then continues into the dugout when the ump asks to see his belt. Lynn isn't visible in the video from the field, but his belt can be seen flying toward the umpire, who immediately ejects him.
After the game, Lynn said the ejection came as a surprise to him, and that he needed to get to the dugout quickly to see the team trainer.
"No, he’s late getting over there," Lynn said, per MLB.com's Scott Merkin. "I’m trying to get some work done to go back out for the fifth and obviously I hurt his feelings...He threw me out because I tossed my belt. I said well if you were over there on time we wouldn’t have this problem."
Lynn allowed one run on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts in four innings, as the White Sox went on to win, 3-2.
