You’re not going to find any baseball player who enjoys getting hit by a pitch. One, it hurts. And then the adrenaline boost that comes with staring down a 90-plus-mph projectile can easily raise tensions in a ballgame.
That’s especially true when a player feels like he was hit by a pitch on purpose, and during Tuesday’s game between the Braves and Diamondbacks, Ronald Acuña Jr. had every reason to be upset with Humberto Castellanos.
In his third-inning at-bat against Castellanos, Acuña hit an RBI double and was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple. On contact, though, Acuña flipped his bat before heading to first.
What's with the bat flip? Is there bad blood between @Braves Acuña Jr. and @Dbacks Castellanos?
The bat flip and fist pump probably missed the mainstream…@TysonomoMedia
Reports pic.twitter.com/farVuQbyXc— Brian Cano Sr. (@BrianCanoSr) June 1, 2022
Castellanos’ frustration with Acuña appeared to carry over into the Braves star’s next at-bat. Catcher Daulton Varsho went to the mound to confer with Castellanos, and on the very next pitch after the meeting, Acuña was drilled with a 91 mph pitch to the back.
Immediately following a catcher visit to the mound, Ronald Acuña Jr. is hit by a pitch.
(via @BravesOnBally)pic.twitter.com/6ZNyl0aXRa
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 1, 2022
You always try to give a player the benefit of the doubt, but in that situation, it certainly looked intentional. Acuña had words for Castellanos who also walked towards home plate to say something to Acuña (another sign of a pitcher’s intent). The fact that it was the first pitch of the at-bat, which came after a catcher visit, didn’t bode well for Castellanos’ case.
When the Diamondbacks pitcher was taken out of the game later in the inning, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo directed Castellanos to use the home-plate side of the dugout to avoid Acuña at third base.
The exit. pic.twitter.com/aIZYWTrWfV
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) June 1, 2022
Everyone seemed to know that the hit by pitch was on purpose, and MLB fans were tired of unwritten rules leading to another hit by pitch.
