Blue Jays reliever Anthony Bass recently came under fire after sharing an anti-LGBTQ post on his Instagram account. Bass had shared a video to his Instagram stories on Monday which endorsed boycotts of companies that supported LGBTQ causes.
Bass issued a public apology for his social media post, but some fans in Toronto still weren’t pleased.
On Wednesday, Bass made his first appearance on the mound since the social media post, and he was greeted with a chorus of boos from Blue Jays supporters.
Bass came in to pitch the ninth inning for Toronto during Wednesday’s 4–2 loss against the Brewers. Fans could be heard booing him as he jogged to the mound ahead of his appearance.
Anthony Bass comes into the game, greeted by a couple of separate choruses of boos. #Bluejays pic.twitter.com/NM3IpEA91i
— Mike Wilner (@Wilnerness) June 1, 2023
Anthony Bass receives a healthy smattering of boos here at the SkyDome pic.twitter.com/P0J4KjSRDj
— Mike Gould (@miketgould) June 1, 2023
In his apology on Tuesday, Bass said, “I recognize yesterday I made a post that was hurtful to the Pride community, which includes friends of mine and close family members of mine. I am truly sorry for that.”
The 35-year-old told reporters that he’d spoken and apologized to his teammates and was “using the Blue Jays’ resources to better educate myself.”
Wednesday’s outing was his first time on the mound since Saturday, May 27. He pitched one inning against the Brewers, striking out one batter while surrendering a walk.
Earlier this year, Bass previously caused a stir on social media after his complaints about a flight attendant went viral.
