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Scherzer: Hitters want pitchers to use substances so balls don't fly at heads

Maddie Meyer / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Washington Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer wants MLB to police foreign substance use, as long as the league figures out how pitchers can still use something for grip to protect hitters.

"Look, this has gone on for decades, guys using substances for tack," the three-time Cy Young Award winner said on Monday, according to MASN's Mark Zuckerman.

"Our hitters, the Nationals' hitters, want pitchers to use substances for tack. We don't want to see balls flying at our heads," he added. "Point in case: Austin Voth. He's got a broken nose. You can look at him every single day right now and think: Do we want more of that, or less of that?"

Scherzer's comments come amid league-wide concern about pitchers using foreign substances to improve performance. The league will reportedly begin suspending players 10 games for using items such as Spider Tack, rosin mixed with sunscreen, and pine tar during play.

The Nationals ace, who's also a member of the MLBPA's executive subcommittee, said that pitchers using a substance like pine tar to improve grip hasn't been an issue among players. However, he added that the "bad actors" who are concocting substances to get a leg up on the competition are the problem.

Scherzer believes MLB and the MLBPA could resolve the issue by deciding what substances should be allowed, but the league has chosen to do "whatever they want with this" instead.

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