Astros reliever Hector Neris issued a statement Thursday in which he apologized to Mariners outfielder Julio Rodríguez following a heated incident in Wednesday’s game.
In the sixth inning on Wednesday, Neris struck out Rodríguez and proceeded to aggressively shout at the 22-year-old while walking straight towards him. The two exchanged some heated words while the benches of both teams emptied.
In his statement, Neris called Rodríguez a friend, and suggested that his actions were meant as part of “friendly ongoing banter” that they’ve had for years.
