Montgomery gets 20-game ban after altercation with umpire

The Samsung Lion's Mike Montgomery throws a rosin bag at the umpire during a game against the KT Wiz in Daegu on Friday. [JOONGANG SUNDAY]

Samsung Lions pitcher Mike Montgomery has been suspended for 20 games after throwing a rosin bag at the home plate umpire during a game against the KT Wiz on Friday.

Montgomery will also be fined 3 million won ($2,600).

The altercation happened at the top of the fourth inning on Friday, when Montgomery was warned by the umpire after breaking the KBO's 12 second rule, which requires pitchers to throw the ball within 12 seconds of receiving it with the bases empty.

Montgomery played the rest of the inning, but then appeared to get in an argument with umpire Kim Sung-chul on his way back to the dugout. The argument escalated and Kim ejected Montgomery.

Montgomery then attempted to take a run at Kim, but was physically restrained by his teammates. While being pulled away by teammates, Montgomery threw a rosin back at Kim, hitting him in the back. On his way off the field, Montgomery removed his Lions uniform and threw it on to the field.

The KBO announced Tuesday that Montgomery received a 20 game ban, taking him out of action for most of the Lions' remaining games. The hot-headed pitcher only joined the Daegu club in June this year and debuted in July, shortly before the break for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Lions are currently in second place and eyeing their first postseason run since 2015. With it now too late to bring in a new arm, the Lions are likely to keep Montgomery on the books into the playoffs as they try to snap a five-year dry spell. His career prospects in the KBO beyond that look far less certain.

As well as the behavior issues, Montgomery's numbers on the field haven't been especially impressive so far this season. He has appeared in seven games in the KBO, with one win and two losses for a 5.23 ERA.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]