(ATTN: ADDS Go's reaction in last 4 paras)

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- Minnesota Twins minor league pitcher Go Woo-suk has been suspended for 10 games after getting caught with an illegal substance in his glove in a recent Triple-A game.

Minnesota media reported Sunday (U.S. time) that Go began serving his suspension the previous day, a day after he was ejected for having a foreign substance in his glove.

The South Korean pitcher was traded by the Detroit Tigers to the Twins on July 5 and made his major league debut four days later. He was optioned to Triple-A St. Paul last Tuesday after posting a 9.00 ERA in four outings with the Twins.

Go was about to pitch in the seventh inning for his St. Paul debut Friday but was ejected after an umpire discovered an illegal substance inside his glove.

Major League Baseball began cracking down on pitchers across the majors and the minors applying foreign substances on baseballs during the 2021 season, in order to prevent them from applying extra spin and movement on their pitches. Umpires inspect pitchers' hands and gloves between innings and after pitching changes.

Players who are caught with a banned substance are subject to automatic ejection and a mandatory 10-game ban.

Go took to social media to refute Minnesota media reports that he had chosen not to appeal, saying he will try to clear his name through the players' association.

"I have never once thought in my life that I should resort to illegal ways to compete. I have always believed that fair play is the most important value in sports," Go wrote in his social media post. "Even when I was struggling in the minor leagues and had to work my way up from the rock bottom, my conviction never wavered."

Go claimed that the substance found in his glove was a hardened mixture of sweat and rosin.

"I have been using the same glove since the World Baseball Classic and it has never once been a problem," Go said. "It could not have affected my pitching. Also, the area that was said to contain the illegal substance was so hardened that it would peel off only if scrapped very hard with a finger nail that it could neither be removed, nor was there any reason to do so. I have never once used any illegal substance that could influence my pitching."

jeeho@yna.co.kr

(END)

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