In a dramatic turn of events, Lance Lynn faced an early departure from his first spring training outing with the St. Louis Cardinals after a heated exchange with home plate umpire Ángel Hernández on Friday evening.
The confrontation escalated further as Lynn was instructed to leave the bullpen following a brief additional pitch session after his clash with the Washington Nationals.
With just one out in the third inning, intended to be Lynn’s final frame, the pitcher found himself ejected from the game.
According to MLB.com’s John Denton, Lynn recounted the incident, stating that Hernández “started chirping at the (Cardinals) dugout and I told him, ‘They know it was a strike.’ He told me, ‘Let’s go!’ And I told him, ‘I have five seconds on the pitch clock and I’ll start whenever I feel like it.’ … I threw the next pitch and I was like, ‘There’s a strike!’ And then it was ‘see you later.’”
Lynn’s performance saw him concede four runs on three hits and three walks across a combined two innings. Despite registering two strikeouts, he struggled with control, throwing 25 of his 44 pitches for strikes.
In a tumultuous first inning, Lynn faced 27 pitches, resulting in only two outs and all three of his walks. The inning concluded with a bases-loaded walk followed by a three-run double, prompting Lynn’s temporary exit from the game. He returned for the second inning and retired one batter in the third before his ejection.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol also found himself ejected from the game. Lynn and Marmol acknowledged the crowd as they made their way through the outfield toward the clubhouse.
A pivotal figure in the Cardinals’ 2011 World Series victory as a rookie, Lynn spent his first six MLB seasons with the team before embarking on stints with five other teams over the past six years. His return to St. Louis materialized in November through a re-signing agreement.
The 36-year-old right-hander is set to earn $11 million under the terms of the deal, with $10 million slated for this season and a $10 million team option for 2025, featuring a $1 million buyout.
Hernández, a veteran umpire since 1993, has previously courted controversy on the field. Notably, during the 2018 AL Division Series between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, he experienced three calls at first base overturned by video reviews in Game 3.
