“Rip his career” “Valid crashout” - Mariners’ Victor Robles furious bat-toss at pitcher after hit by pitch incident gets polarizing fan reaction

Seattle Mariners outfielder Victor Robles stirred controversy after his furious reaction during a rehab game on Sunday. Robles, who is on rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma, was ejected for throwing his bat at Las Vegas pitcher Joey Estes.

During the third inning of Tacoma’s game at Las Vegas on Sunday, Robles was hit by Estes' pitch on his shoulder. While the Mariners outfielder initially dropped the bat, he picked it up and threw it in the pitcher's direction.

Although home plate umpire ejected him immediately, Robles exchanged words with the opposition pitcher and tried to charge the mound before being held back by the umpire and his teammates.

Robles' reaction went viral on social media, dividing baseball fans.

"RIP his career," wrote a fan.

"Valid crashout," wrote another fan.

"Lmfao enjoy that suspension lil guy," mocked a fan.

This was the fourth time Robles was hit by a pitch since starting his rehab assignment. Fans defended the Mariners outfielder's action as it was the fourth hit in his last five games. He was struck twice on Tuesday, with Estes being one of the pitchers to hit him that day.

"Good time to mention it’s the 4th time he’s been nailed in five games," alleged a fan.

"Justified. Just got back from a serious injury and LV has been intentionally throwing at him the whole series. FREE VICTOR," defended another fan.

Victor Robles issues heartfelt apology after controversial ejection

After his ejection, Victor Robles displayed his frustration in the dugout by throwing the sunflower seed bucket on the field. The veteran outfielder issued an apology on Instagram, reflecting on his actions.

"I want to take a moment to sincerely apologize for my recent reaction on the field. I let my frustration get the best of me, and I understand how that may have affected not just the game, but the energy and respect we all work so hard to maintain."

While the Mariners outfielder said the death of his mother along with other issues has taken it's toll on him, Robles said it's wasn't "excuse" to justify his action and he is not "proud" of his reaction.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash