Javier Báez was ejected in the fifth inning of the Tigers’ 3-1 win over the Giants after a controversial strike call sparked a heated exchange with home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi.
The Tigers center fielder was visibly frustrated after Cuzzi called a low pitch a strike. Báez expressed his disagreement, walking away before turning back to make another comment prompting Cuzzi to toss him from the game. Manager A.J. Hinch rushed out of the dugout in protest, while third base coach Joey Cora stepped in to restrain Báez.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Báez explained his side of the confrontation.
“I just told him, ‘I’m looking for that pitch. It’s not a strike,’” Báez said, via Detroit Free Press reporter Evan Petzold. “Then he told me not to point at it and to walk out. I asked what he meant, and he threw me out.”
Báez emphasized that the issue wasn’t the call itself, but how he was treated.
“It’s about respect,” he said. “I’m not an animal. We can talk, we can argue, that’s fine. But don’t treat me like that. If he just admitted he missed the call, I’d have shut up.”
Cuzzi, who has been an MLB umpire since 1999, has a reputation for questionable strike zones, and this latest incident is likely to add to the scrutiny.
Despite the ejection, Báez has been a key contributor for Detroit in 2025, bouncing back from a poor 2024 season. Now in his fourth year with the Tigers after signing a six-year, $140 million deal, he’s stepped up in center field due to injuries and is hitting well with a .799 OPS, 125 OPS+, six home runs, and 1.6 bWAR through 41 games.
The win moved the Tigers to 35-20, extending their lead in the AL Central to 4.5 games over the Twins.
