Mets' Smith ejected after sticky substance check

New York Mets right-handed relief pitcher Drew Smith was ejected from Tuesday night's home game against the New York Yankees as quickly as he entered after failing a sticky substance check.

The Mets tapped Smith to take the mound in the seventh inning, with the Yankees leading 7-6. When Smith took the field, first base umpire Bill Miller performed an extensive foreign substance check of his hands, conferred with the umpire crew and tossed the pitcher.

Smith officially went down in the box score as 0.0 innings pitched, zero pitches.

The Mets sent John Curtiss to the mound instead, and Curtiss sat down the Yankees in order in the seventh.

Smith now faces an automatic 10-game suspension for use of a foreign substance, something both New York clubs are plenty familiar with. The only two sticky-stuff suspensions this season were assessed to Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer and Yankees starting pitcher Domingo German.

Smith, 29, is appearing in his fifth major league season, all with the Mets. In 26 games out of the bullpen he has a 3-2 record and a 4.18 ERA.