Major League Baseball (MLB) has banned a fan from attending games at every stadium after a Boston Red Sox player was hit with a ball allegedly thrown by that fan, multiple news outlets reported.
During the sixth inning of Saturday’s Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees contest, Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo was hit with a ball that flew out in the left-field stands.
Play was halted as umpires and on-field staff sought to identify the fan who threw the ball and a Red Sox position coach soon came afterward to pull Verdugo, who was visibly angry, away from the stands, The Washington Post reported.
According to a New York Post article, the incident began as Verdugo tried to toss a baseball at a Red Sox fan who was attending the game at Yankees Stadium. A Yankees fan intercepted the ball and other fans pressed the fan to throw the ball back onto the field.
The fan was identified and let out of the stadium by authorities but was not arrested, according to a NJ.com report.
In a statement, the Yankees said that “reckless, disorderly and dangerous behavior” at their stadium will not be tolerated, according to The Washington Post.
“There is absolutely no place for it at Yankee Stadium. The safety of everyone at Yankee Stadium, including guests in the stands and players on the field, will always be the top priority for the Yankees organization every time we open our doors,” the club said.
Verdugo told the New York Post that he expects a hostile attitude from Yankees fans when he plays against them, claiming that he doesn’t care.
“I come to expect it when I’m out there. The trash-talking, bringing up family members, having everybody chant — excuse my language — ‘[Expletive] Verdugo’ and all these things, I’m used to that,” Verdugo said. “I don’t care. That’s cool with me.”
The Hill has reached out to the MLB for comment.