
Home plate umpire Randy Rosenberg threw out Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto for a seemingly minor offense during the team’s exhibition match versus the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.
The incident unfolded during the bottom of the fourth inning, with pitcher Craigon on the mound for the Phillies. Following a pitch-clock violation, Rosenberg tried to hand a ball to Realmuto.
The catcher unintentionally shifted his glove without checking in with the umpire, causing the ball to slip and fall to the ground.
Rosenberg perceived the movement as a deliberate mistake, resulting in the ejection. Phillies manager Rob Thomson came to the plate to dispute the matter but was unsuccessful.
“First time I was ejected. It was a soft way to get thrown out,” Realmuto said after the game.
Per the Philadelphia Inquirer, Realmuto also questioned how he was expected to know that the ball was being handed to him when he wasn’t even looking at the umpire.
Crew chief Dan Iassogna defended Rosenberg’s decision after the game. “Did Randy act hastily? No,” he said. Lassogna explained that the umpire believed the “situation warranted an ejection, and that’s what he did.”
The defending National League champion Philadelphia emerged victorious with a 5-2 final score. Realmuto had one hit in two at-bats, scored a run and struck out once.
Starting his baseball career with the Miami Marlins, Realmuto is preparing for his 10th season in Major League Baseball and his fifth season with the Phillies. The 32-year-old signed with Philadelphia before the 2019 season.
During his time with the Phillies, he has earned All-Star honors twice and received two Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards.
In the previous season, Realmuto had a .276 batting average, .820 OPS and 22 home runs. These stats led to his seventh-place ranking in the National League MVP voting.
The Del City native also played for Team USA in the recent World Baseball Classic, where they were the runners-up to Japan in the competition.
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