Absurd MLB crackdown forces Reds' star Hunter Greene to make a change (again)

Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Hunter Greene was forced to change his glove again. After getting touched up for two runs during the first inning of Saturday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, Greene was confronted by first base umpire Tripp Gibson as he trotted back to the dugout.

Gibson investigated Greene's glove, and the Reds starter was visibly upset. Manager Terry Francona was then brought into the conversation, and he shared Greene's frustration. When Greene emerged from the Reds dugout to pitch in the bottom of the second inning, the right-hander was wearing a different mitt.

This was not a "sticky stuff" situation, but rather the umpiring crew observed the HG logos on Greene's glove and deemed them unacceptable. This was the same glove that Greene switched to earlier this month in San Francisco, and it's the same one he wore for 8 ⅔ innings during his previous start on Monday at Great American Ball Park.

Absurd MLB crackdown forces Reds' star Hunter Greene to make a change (again)

According to the Orioles' broadcast crew, Major League Baseball is cracking down on the use of logos on player gloves—at least for pitchers. This is yet another, in a long line of irrational and unnecessary rules that MLB is attempting to enforce, and as always, they're capricious and arbitrary.

While being forced to change gloves seemed utterly unnecessary and asinine, Greene may have wanted a new glove anyway. Orioles' hitters tattooed Greene during the first inning with back-to-back home runs courtesy of Cedric Mullins and Gunnar Henderson. Greene threw 29 pitches in the first inning and the O's ran his pitch count up to almost 60 by the time the second inning came to a close.

Greene surrendered another long ball during the third inning, allowing the Orioles to take a 5-3 lead. Greene definitely did not have his A-game on Saturday, exiting after just three innings, and leaving Reds fans quite perplexed by the results.

Heading into Saturday's contest, Greene had been one of the best starters in all of baseball, but the Orioles definitely offered the Reds' righty his biggest challenge of the season. Perhaps Greene will need to order a new glove—one without logos— to get back on the right track.

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