MLB umpires embarrass themselves by forcing Graham Ashcraft to remove his wedding ring

After leaving the mound following the first inning, Cincinnati Reds starter Graham Ashcraft had his hands inspected by the first base umpire to be sure there was no foreign substance present.

If you'll remember, last season, Major League Baseball had umpires checking pitchers' belts, under their caps, and their gloves. This year, the league has wisely decided to check the one thing that would come into contact with a ball; the pitcher's hand.

But on Saturday afternoon, first base umpire John Tumpane pointed at Ashcraft's left-hand. A brief conversation ensued between the two and Ashcraft eventually returned to the Cincinnati Reds dugout.

Curiously, when Ashcraft returned to the mound for the second inning, the silicone wedding band that he typically wears on his hand was attached his necklace. As it turns out, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Ashcraft was forced to take his ring off.

MLB umpires force Reds starter Graham Ashcraft to remove his wedding ring.

This makes absolutely zero sense. But it's Major League Baseball, so it's not surprising at all. Now, if Graham Ashcraft, who's a right-handed pitcher, was wearing the silicone ring on his right hand, I could completely understand that line of thinking.

Something like that might be able to help a pitcher get a better grip on a ball. Okay, I can understand that. But the ring was on Ashcraft's left hand. Not his right hand, his left hand!

But it gets better. Ashcraft, who's likely worn this ring in every single one of his big league starts this season, asked the umpire when the rule was instituted. John Tumpane told him that they started enforcing that rule on Friday. Are you kidding me?

You'll remember earlier this year when umpire Dan Bellino tossed Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Madison Bumgarner after walking off the mound in the first inning of a game agains the Marlins. Bellino massaged Bumgarner's hand for several second without even looking down.

Bumgarner said something to Bellino and was immediately ejected from the game. While Graham Ashcraft didn't air his grievance as forcefully as Bumgarner, the umpire's actions could still be called into question.

Is this really a rule that should be enforced? Was this an edict handed down from Major League Baseball on Friday? If so, why weren't teams notified of this sudden change? This is all just another bad look for MLB's umpiring crews.