Major League Baseball is investigating a video making its rounds on social media that appears to show Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon holding a fan by the shirt through the bleacher guardrails. The incident occurred on Opening Day in Oakland, after the Angels’ 2-1 loss to the Athletics.
In the video recorded from behind a fan dressed in Athletics colors, Rendon looks to have quickly caught the shirt of the fan, who must have been leaning down towards him. With a smile, Rendon appeared to confront the fan while still holding his shirt through the railing.
“What’d you say? Yeah you called me b****, huh?” Rendon can be heard saying.
The fan’s responses are unintelligible. After saying, “Yeah you did. Yeah you did, yeah mother f*****,” Rendon appears to swipe in the fans direction (without making contact) and walk away.
As most of Rendon’s Angels teammates walked past the spectacle, Mike Trout can be seen observing the exchange.
The Angels signed Rendon to a seven-year, $245 million contract as a free agent in the 2019-20 offseason. His 2022 season ended in June with a right wrist injury that required surgery, although he also struggled with hip and hamstring issues.
The veteran third baseman was 0-for-3 in the Angels’ Friday night loss.
The Angels have yet to comment on the video, but the club reportedly expects Rendon to address it in front of reporters Saturday ahead of another game against the A’s in Oakland.