NEW YORK (AP) — Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Dennis Santana says he confronted Yankees batter José Caballero because he felt Caballero was taking too long to get set in the batter’s box — a dispute that sent both teams pouring onto the field during Monday night’s 8-5 Pittsburgh loss to New York.
The incident unfolded in the eighth inning after Caballero grounded into a double play to end the frame. Rather than heading back to the dugout, Santana turned toward Caballero and began gesturing and yelling at him repeatedly on the field.
When asked what he said, Santana kept his explanation simple: “Just don’t (take) that long (at) home plate and that’s it.”
Teammates Rafael Flores and Bryan Reynolds stepped in to hold Santana back, and after a few minutes, calm was restored without any punches being thrown or anyone being tossed from the game.
Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly downplayed the situation afterward. “Dennis just got frustrated by something,” Kelly said. “Thankfully it didn’t end up being a big deal.”
The confrontation is rooted in Major League Baseball’s pitch clock rules, which have been in effect since 2023. Under those rules, hitters must be standing in the batter’s box and facing the pitcher when the clock reaches eight seconds. Caballero has made a habit of waiting until that final moment before getting into position, something he did during his three-pitch at-bat against Santana.
Caballero said he was caught off guard by Santana’s reaction. “I just grounded into a double play, turning my back to the coach at first base to give my guards to him, and he was chirping at me,” Caballero said. “I was a little bit surprised about it.”
Caballero had performed well earlier in the game, recording two hits including a two-run double before his confrontational plate appearance against Santana. The Pirates pitcher has struggled this season, carrying a 6.05 ERA over 44 appearances, and had given up a walk-off two-run home run to Cleveland rookie Travis Bazzana just this past Saturday.
Caballero was unapologetic about his approach in the batter’s box, pointing out that the rules have been in place for years. “At this point, he’s lucky he doesn’t get a ball right away because at this point, it’s been four years with the same rules, which we all should know about the rules,” Caballero said. “The whole league should know who I am, what I do (in) the box, and they should be aware of it. For you to get mad at something that the league’s implementing — you shouldn’t be mad at me, you should be mad at someone else.”
This is not the first time Caballero’s batter’s box habits have caused friction. On June 14, during New York’s 8-3 win in Toronto, Caballero received a warning from plate umpire Stephen Jaschinski for intentionally stalling an at-bat. He was told an automatic strike would be called if it happened again, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone later spoke with Major League Baseball officials about the issue.
Reynolds, who had to help restrain Santana, acknowledged that Caballero’s approach is well known around the league. “I know he does it every pitch. It’s his thing,” Reynolds said.
Caballero, who was acquired from Tampa Bay on July 31 last year, has long drawn the ire of opposing pitchers with his deliberate style. Back in June 2023, as a rookie with the Seattle Mariners, he irritated Yankees ace Gerrit Cole so much that Cole fired a 97 mph fastball that sailed all the way to the backstop. That came after Caballero repeatedly stepped out of the box during his first two plate appearances, waiting each time until the clock hit the eight-second threshold before getting ready.
