Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
During Sunday’s game against Miami, Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez gawked at what turned out to be a long single. After the game, he was publicly chastised by manager Gabe Kapler, who called his lack of hustle “unacceptable.”
On Monday, Kapler told reporters that he is benching Hernandez for the team’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, and that he is doing it because the player wasn’t running hard on that play.
The only problem is, Hernandez said afterward that Kapler told him the benching had nothing to do with yesterday’s event, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic.
This isn’t a good look for Kapler or the Phillies.
Right after Hernandez came back to the dugout Sunday, Kapler was seen giving him an earful about his decision to watch his hit, rather than hustle out an easy double. Kapler then said after the game that he opted not to pull Hernandez from the game.
Now he has changed his mind and is disciplining his second baseman, but the player has a different tale about the whole thing.
Color us confused.