Umpire ejects Realmuto after bizarre game ball exchange

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto was ejected Monday in a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays for an awkward ball exchange that followed a pitch-clock violation.

Home plate umpire Randy Rosenberg had just finished calling a ball on Phillies pitcher Craig Kimbrel for taking too long on the mound when the at-bat in the fourth inning devolved into the bizarre ejection.

Kimbrel asked for a fresh ball after the violation, and Rosenberg threw him one. Kimbrel then threw out that baseball and asked for another. Rosenberg tried handing that ball to Realmuto to throw, but the catcher blindly turned his glove away and the ball dropped to the ground.

Rosenberg immediately ejected Realmuto.

Realmuto, still squatting in his catcher’s position with his back to Rosenberg, turned around and expressed confusion about what had just happened.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson then came to the plate for an explanation.

“How does he expect me to know he’s giving me the ball right there?” Realmuto said to the Philadelphia Inquirer after the game. “I’m not even looking at him.”

Realmuto made his way off the diamond with a few rah-rah fist pumps for the crowd.

Head-scratching sequences such as this one have been popping up at times during spring training as MLB put into place significant new rules meant to speed up the game. Players at times have been experimenting with how best to use the rules to their advantage before the regular season, although Realmuto told the Inquirer his missed handoff had nothing to do with a clock violation.

“I said, ‘Dude, I thought you were throwing the ball,’” Realmuto told the newspaper. “He said, ‘I’m not gonna buy that.’”

The Milwaukee Brewers signed first baseman Luke Voit and designated Keston Hiura for assignment Monday as part of a flurry of moves they made to prepare for the start of the season.

Voit had arrived in camp on a minor-league deal at the start of spring training but opted out of that contract last week, enabling him to negotiate with other teams. The 2020 MLB home-run leader instead stayed with the Brewers on a one-year, major-league deal that includes a club option for 2024.

The 32-year-old Voit batted .226 with 22 homers, 69 RBIs and a .308 on-base percentage in 135 games with the San Diego Padres and Washington Nationals last season. Voit’s best year came in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, when he batted .277 with 22 homers and 52 RBIs in 56 games with the New York Yankees.

Hiura, 26, posted a .938 OPS in 84 games as a rookie in 2019 but hasn’t approached that production since. He batted .226 with 14 homers and 32 RBIs in 80 games last season and struck out in 111 of his 266 plate appearances.

The Detroit Tigers acquired veteran infielder Zach McKinstry in a trade with the Chicago Cubs on Monday.

The Tigers sent minor league right-hander Carlos Guzman to the Cubs for McKinstry, a .208 hitter with 12 homers and 43 RBIs in parts of three big league seasons.

The 24-year-old Guzman went 9-6 with a 4.11 ERA in 27 games last year, finishing the season with two appearances for Double-A Erie.

McKinstry, who turns 28 on April 29, broke into the majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. He was traded to the Cubs for reliever Chris Martin in July.

McKinstry batted .199 with five homers and 14 RBIs in 57 games with the Dodgers and Cubs last year.

The Baltimore Orioles optioned right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to Triple-A Norfolk, sending one of the game’s top pitching prospects to the minors as opening day approaches.

The Orioles also released utilityman Franchy Cordero and outfielder Nomar Mazara.

Rodriguez went 6-1 with a 2.20 ERA at Triple-A last season, and he’s ranked as the game’s No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline. However, he posted a 7.04 ERA in five starts this spring.

Baltimore also reassigned right-hander Eduard Bazardo, outfielder Daz Cameron, right-hander Reed Garrett, catcher Maverick Handley, infielder Josh Lester, infielder Ryan O’Hearn and infielder Jordan Westburg to Norfolk.

The Texas Rangers released veteran catcher Sandy León from his minor league contract after breaking camp from Arizona.

Texas announced the move before an exhibition game at home in Texas on Monday night against Kansas City.

León signed with the Rangers just before the start of spring training. The 34-year-old catcher played 533 big league games with five teams over the last 11 seasons.

Darin Ruf has been cut by the New York Mets as the team set its Opening Day roster.

Speedy outfielder Tim Locastro won the final bench spot over Ruf, who was acquired from San Francisco at the trade deadline last August. Ruf batted only .152 with no homers and a .413 OPS in 28 games with the Mets.

To get him, New York sent J.D. Davis, left-hander Thomas Szapucki and two minor league pitchers to the Giants. The 36-year-old Ruf was designated for assignment and is still due $3.25 million from the Mets.

In other moves, veteran right-hander Tommy Hunter earned a bullpen role and lefty David Peterson won the vacant spot in the rotation over right-hander Tylor Megill, who was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.