Report: Baseballs used by Dodgers' Bauer sent to MLB for inspection

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Trevor Bauer works against the Colorado Rockies in the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, April 2, 2021, in Denver. (David Zalubowski/AP)

Multiple baseballs used by reigning NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 4-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday have been sent to MLB for further inspection, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Per Rosenthal, the balls, which allegedly had visible markings and were sticky, were collected as part of the league's recent commitment to increase the monitoring of foreign substances used by pitchers.

Mike Hill, MLB's executive vice-president of baseball operations and disciplinarian, wrote in a memorandum to team officials in March that “players are subject to discipline … regardless of whether evidence of the violation has been discovered during or following a game.”

“Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to, handling foreign substances, advising a pitcher how to use or otherwise mask the use of foreign substances, interfering with the collection of game-used baseballs and failing to report observed violations of these rules by players or staff.”

Rosenthal reports it's unclear whether the league can prove Bauer was responsible or whether any punishment would stand if the balls are found to have contained foreign substances.

Bauer went 6 2/3 innings vs. Oakland, striking out 10 and giving up two earned runs in his second start of the season.

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