SAN FRANCISCO — Major League Baseball acted swiftly on Thursday, suspending Max Scherzer for 10 games a day after his ejection for a foreign substance on his right hand. 

Scherzer originally planned to appeal the suspension, but changed course before the Mets played the Giants at Oracle Park.

The right-hander settled with MLB and began his suspension Thursday. 

Scherzer said he settled rather than appeal because he originally believed his case would be heard by an independent arbitrator.

But any appeal would have been before MLB officials, and Scherzer determined he couldn’t win. 

Also, by starting his suspension immediately, Scherzer will be in position to pitch against the Braves on the Mets’ next homestand. 

“That is the best thing for the Mets at this point in time,” Scherzer said. 

But Scherzer, who maintained the only substances he used were rosin and sweat, said it was “extremely difficult” to accept the league’s decision. 

“I hope that we can modify the rule,” Scherzer said. “The intent of this rule was to clean up the game of stuff causing spin rates to spike, but I don’t think it was intended to crack down on pitchers using legal substances. I used legal substances.” 

Scherzer was ejected before the bottom of the fourth inning Wednesday at Dodger Stadium by umpire Phil Cuzzi, after a third examination for foreign substances.

Scherzer was also examined by plate umpire Dan Bellino.

The Mets co-ace had earlier been told to change his glove because of the presence of a sticky substance and complied. 

“MLB reviewed relevant video and first-person reports, including a report from the umpiring crew,” MLB said in a statement. “Despite having been warned earlier in the game, including being required to make an equipment change, Mr. Scherzer was found to be in violation of the foreign substance prohibitions of the Official Rules of Baseball prior to the bottom of the fourth inning.” 

The league added that Scherzer had been told after the second inning to wash his hands.

After Wednesday’s game, Scherzer said he abided by that instruction, using alcohol to remove the residue from his hands, and applied a combination of rosin and sweat. 

MLB continued in the statement: “When Mr. Scherzer was inspected prior to pitching in the third inning, the umpires found that his pitching hand was clean, but found a sticky substance in the pocket of his glove and Mr. Scherzer was told to replace his glove.” 

Scherzer was inspected for the final time by the umpires as he walked to the mound for the bottom of the fourth inning. 

“[The umpires] found that Mr. Scherzer’s throwing hand was even more glossy and sticky than it was during the second inspection, despite not even throwing a pitch,” the MLB statement said. “Based on the umpires’ training to detect rosin on a pitchers’ hands they concluded the level of stickiness during the fourth inning check was so extreme that it was inconsistent with the use of rosin and/or sweat alone.” 

MLB’s statement added: “As recently as March 16, 2023, all 30 Clubs were reminded that, “[P]layer use of rosin always must be consistent with the requirements and expectations of the Official Baseball Rules. When used excessively or otherwise misapplied (i.e., to gloves or other parts of the uniform), rosin may be determined by the umpires to be a prohibited foreign substance, the use of which may subject a player to ejection and discipline.” 

Scherzer said such a rule is arbitrary. 

“There is no objective, quantifiable measurement of stickiness, of tackiness,” Scherzer said. “What can be deemed legal one inning is all of a sudden illegal the next inning just by applying sweat. That is my problem with this.” 

Scherzer became the third pitcher suspended since MLB began enforcing sticky substance rules in 2021.

In that season, the Diamondbacks’ Caleb Smith and Mariners’ Hector Santiago were suspended. 

During Scherzer’s suspension the Mets will have to play a man short.

Already, the team has three starting pitchers on the injured list in Justin Verlander, Carlos Carrasco and Jose Quintana. 

Scherzer said he isn’t concerned about his reputation taking a hit with the suspension. 

“I faced the Dodgers, I know those guys and I told them, ‘Hey, this is what I did,’ ” Scherzer said. “They understood. They know me. I have got my reputation in the game. Players understand what I did. They know what I’m about.”