Astros Reliever Hector Neris Accused of Homophobic Slur Towards Mariners Star Julio Rodríguez
SEATTLE — The rivalry between the Houston Astros and the Seattle Mariners took an ugly turn during Wednesday’s game at T-Mobile Park. Astros reliever Hector Neris allegedly made a homophobic slur in Spanish towards Mariners star Julio Rodríguez during the sixth inning of the game.
With the Astros holding a narrow 4-3 lead, Neris struck out Rodríguez on three pitches. Following the strikeout, Neris pointed and shouted at Rodríguez while pacing in his direction. Video replays appeared to show Neris making the homophobic slur in Spanish during the heated exchange. Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suárez, who was in the on-deck circle at the time, later confirmed hearing the derogatory comment.
“I heard that, and that pissed me off,” Suárez said. “I was mad and I let him know, like, ‘Why did you do that? Why did you do that to us? If you want to enjoy your strikeout, you enjoy the strikeout and go to your dugout.’ Don’t do that, walk and chase Julio and do all that [stuff] he did. For me, I don’t take that. That made me so mad.”
Rodríguez, who was not available for comment after the game, relayed through a Mariners spokesperson that he was shocked by Neris’ actions as there had been no animosity between them prior to the incident. The two players have a previous relationship and have trained together in the offseason. They are also represented by the same agent.
Neris, in his postgame interview, downplayed the incident, stating, “It’s part of the game and emotions. This situation today was nothing personal. I tried to make [the] team try to play hard.” However, Suárez strongly disagreed, emphasizing that the use of homophobic slurs is unacceptable.
Following the strikeout, tensions escalated further as Rodríguez shouted back at Neris while walking towards him. The benches cleared as players and coaching staffs from both teams became involved in the altercation. The umpires were eventually able to restore order, but the incident left a lasting impression.
This is not the first time these two teams have had heated exchanges. Earlier this season, there was a disagreement between Astros catcher Martín Maldonado and Mariners second baseman Jose Caballero, as well as a confrontation between Caballero and Astros pitcher Framber Valdez. The history of confrontations and “bad blood” between the teams has raised concerns about player safety and the need for better sportsmanship.
Astros manager Dusty Baker expressed frustration over the incident, highlighting the potential impact on players’ careers and the increasing boldness shown in such incidents. Baker also pointed out that the Mariners have hit five Astros batters this season, while the Astros have hit ten Mariners batters, adding to the tensions between the teams.
Mariners manager Scott Servais acknowledged the rivalry between the two teams but emphasized the importance of respectful competition. He stated, “It is a team that we’ve competed very hard against over the last couple of years. They are a team that has been to the World Series multiple times, the team that we want to climb over, OK. If somebody wants to call that bad blood, then so be it. We want to beat them. That’s not good blood, it’s bad blood — whatever you want to call it. I do respect them.”
The incident involving Neris’s alleged homophobic slur raises questions about the language used on the field and highlights the need for stricter enforcement of conduct and sportsmanship in professional baseball. The league may need to address these issues to ensure a safe and inclusive environment for all players.