Umpire Ejects 3 Players Over Anthem Standoff as Angels Rout Rays 14-3
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 31
Umpire Ejects 3 Players Over Anthem Standoff as Angels Rout Rays 14-3
6 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 31
Three players were tossed before first pitch at Tropicana Field after a pregame national anthem standoff involving Angels reliever Brent Suter and Rays pitchers Steven Wilson and Manuel Rodríguez.
Suter stayed near the third-base dugout after “The Star-Spangled Banner,” while Wilson and Rodríguez remained by the first-base dugout with Rays mascots as Drew Rasmussen and leadoff hitter Zach Neto waited.
The game still began on schedule, and Los Angeles overwhelmed AL East-leading Tampa Bay 14-3.
Suter had pitched in Friday’s opener, while Wilson and Rodríguez had not yet made their 2026 debuts because of lumbar disc inflammation and recovery from elbow surgery, respectively.
The three-game series is tied 1-1 heading into Sunday’s finale.
Why were three players, including two on the injured list, ejected over a pre-game anthem 'standoff'?
Will the players face fines for an incident that had zero impact on the game's outcome?
What obscure MLB rule warrants immediate ejection for lingering on the field after the national anthem?