St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn found himself ejected during the team’s spring training clash with the Washington Nationals on Friday evening.
Lynn detailed the sequence of events leading to his ejection, shedding light on the confrontation with umpire Angel Hernandez as per reports.
“[Hernandez] started exchanging words with the [Cardinals] dugout, and I simply reminded him, ‘They know it was a strike.’ He retorted, ‘Let’s go!’ To which I replied, ‘I have five seconds on the pitch clock, and I’ll commence when I’m ready.'”
Manager Oliver Marmol also received his marching orders from the umpire crew. Before exiting the game, Lynn was seen warming up in the bullpen before being instructed to depart, according to Denton’s account.
“After throwing the next pitch and asserting, ‘There’s a strike!’ I found myself ejected,” Lynn recounted. “I managed to get in another 20 pitches in the bullpen, so I’m feeling good. I suppose I was ejected out of play, too, technically.”
Before his early exit, Lynn endured a tough outing, allowing four earned runs across two innings pitched. Despite striking out two batters, he also issued three walks.
Lynn rejoined the Cardinals on November 21, signing a one-year deal with the club that includes a club option for the 2025 season. It marked a return to the team where the 36-year-old began his career in 2011.
Lynn enjoyed success with the Cardinals, notably as an All-Star, and his contributions during the 2011 postseason played a pivotal role in securing the organization’s 11th World Series title. Lynn expressed his determination to recapture his previous form and aid the Cardinals in returning to the postseason following a last-place finish in the NL Central in 2023.
“I believe we can achieve two goals simultaneously,” he declared on February 22, as quoted by Denton. “I’m confident in my ability to pitch as effectively as I have throughout my career, and I’m also committed to helping the Cardinals reclaim a playoff spot. That’s my sole focus.”
Despite struggling with a 5.73 ERA over 32 starts with the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, Lynn remains optimistic, considering his recent All-Star caliber performance in 2021. With his return to the Cardinals cut short due to the ejection, Lynn aims for a smoother outing the next time he takes the mound.
