Minnesota Twins pitcher Go Woo-suk looks to the field before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, on July 19.AP/YONHAP
Minnesota Twins minor league pitcher Go Woo-suk will appeal a 10-game suspension after getting caught with an illegal substance in his glove before a Triple-A game on Friday.
"I have never used any illegal substance that could affect my pitching," Go wrote on social media on Monday. "I can say that clearly and confidently."
Go, a right-handed reliever for the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, added that he plans to go through the appeals process with the players' union to prove his innocence.
Go was ejected before taking the mound in a Triple-A home game on Friday after failing a pregame glove inspection by umpires. The pitcher repeatedly protested the decision, but the umpiring crew rejected his explanation and confiscated the glove.
“No player shall intentionally discolor or damage the ball by rubbing it with soil, rosin, paraffin, licorice, sandpaper, emery paper or other foreign substance,” according to rule 3.01 (c) under the Official Rules of MLB. “The offender shall be suspended automatically for 10 games.”
Pioneer Press, a local news outlet in Minnesota, reported on Sunday that MLB had finalized Go's 10-game suspension.
Go argued that the substance found on his glove had formed naturally over time.
St. Paul Saints pitcher Go Woo-suk undergoes a glove inspection before a Triple-A game at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minnesota, on July 24.SCREEN CAPTURE
"The material in question built up after sweat and rosin repeatedly mixed and hardened into the leather," he said. "I've used this glove since the World Baseball Classic and have worn it in every game since then. No one has ever raised an issue with it."
He also insisted the residue could not have affected his pitching.
"I'm confident the substance had no impact on my pitches," Go said. "It had hardened so much that you would have had to scrape the leather with your fingernail to remove it. I couldn't remove it, and I had no reason to remove it."
Go moved to the United States in 2024 and realized his dream of making his MLB debut against the Cleveland Guardians on July 10, three seasons after first pursuing a major league career. However, he was optioned back to Triple-A after allowing three runs in one inning against the Guardians on July 20.
The latest controversy came before Go could even throw a pitch in his first game back in the minors.
St. Paul Saints pitcher Go Woo-suk undergoes a glove inspection before a Triple-A game at CHS Field in St. Paul, Minnesota, on July 24.SCREEN CAPTURE
Go had undergone routine glove inspections throughout more than two years in Triple-A, and with his place in the organization far from secure, there appeared to be little reason for him to risk his career by intentionally violating the league's foreign substance rules.
"I have never once believed that I should compete through dishonest means," Go said. "I've always believed fairness is the most important value in sports, and that belief has never changed."
He added that he had endured difficult times after failing to perform up to expectations in the minor leagues, and even when he had to start over from the bottom, he never abandoned those principles.
"I never chose to compromise the values of baseball for better results," Go said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
