Umpire confiscates Taylor Trammell’s bat mid-game after Yankees’ complaint
Bat taken by MLB official in the ninth inning after New York raised concerns about apparent shaving and altered finish
Major League Baseball officials removed Houston Astros outfielder Taylor Trammell’s bat during the bottom of the ninth inning after the New York Yankees raised concerns, umpires and team officials said.
The incident unfolded after Trammell hit a double and reached second base. Yankees manager Aaron Boone told plate umpire Adrian Johnson he wanted the bat inspected. After a several-minute delay, Johnson handed the bat to an MLB official, who took it out of sight, and the game resumed without the bat. Observers noted a different coloring on the barrel compared with the rest of the black finish on the bat.
Trammell said after the game that Johnson had signed off on removing the bat from play because it appeared to have been "shaved down" too much. Boone said the team had noticed the bat earlier in the series and had asked the league to look into it.
"It was just something that we noticed this series and asked the league about," Boone said after the game. "You're not allowed to do anything to your bat. I'm not saying he was. I just ... we noticed and the league thought it maybe was illegal too."
The delay while the bat was removed did not alter the outcome of the inning, and play resumed after the official took the bat out of sight. MLB inspection of bats removed from games is intended to determine whether equipment has been altered in violation of the rules; league officials did not immediately issue a public comment about this specific incident.
Officials did not announce any immediate discipline or a ruling on the bat during the game. The confiscation follows increased scrutiny in recent seasons of equipment and on-field materials that might affect play, with teams and league officials regularly requesting inspections when they suspect tampering.
Trammell has been a regular presence in the Astros’ lineup this season, and the team has not offered a formal statement about the inspection. MLB’s review process for a confiscated bat typically includes further examination by league personnel before any determination about rule violations is made.