PHOTO: Did Michael Pineda use pine tar tonight against the Red Sox? - MLB

Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda has dominated the Red Sox so far tonight and it looks like he could be using some pine tar to help shut them down. Or at least improve his grip on the baseball. You be the judge:

This is probably more common that we realize, but that looks pretty obvious. Interestingly, Pineda is starting tonight against Clay Buchholz, who was accused of using sunscreen on a baseball last year. Also, don’t forget that some suspected that Jon Lester used a substance to doctor the baseball during the World Series against the Cardinals. The Red Sox are surely aware of what Pineda is doing, but maybe it shouldn’t be surprising that John Farrell hasn’t complained.

UPDATE: According to the YES broadcast of the game, it looks like Pineda no longer has the substance on his hand.

UPDATE II: Pineda struck out seven batters over six innings of one-run ball for his first victory in MLB since July 30, 2011. Per Erik Boland of New York Newsday, Pineda said after the game that he had dirt on his hand. Alrighty then. Meanwhile, David Ortiz told Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal that “everybody uses pine tar” and it’s “not a big deal.” Umpire Brian O’Nora told Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that “the Red Sox didn’t bring it to our attention so there’s nothing we can so about it.”

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CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”