Overview
- Boston first baseman Willson Contreras was ejected by first-base umpire Nic Lentz after a disputed check-swing, with video showing him tap the top of his helmet as he walked back to the dugout on Monday night.
- Broadcast footage and reports indicate Contreras did not speak before the ejection, returned to calmly plead his case to Lentz and was not reinstated.
- NESN commentators and Red Sox personnel reacted with surprise and criticism, with color analyst Will Middlebrooks calling the call a joke and interim manager Chad Tracy initially unaware Contreras had been tossed.
- The incident followed an emotional first inning for Contreras, who homered earlier and had shown visible emotion related to recent earthquakes in Venezuela.
- reporting notes show Lentz has a history of quick ejections for similar gestures and there has been no reported MLB reversal or official statement about the decision.