A Republican senator is demanding answers from the commissioner of Major League Baseball after a trio of baseball players were reportedly issued warnings for writing Bible verse references on their “Pride Night” caps.
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Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., sent the letter to MLB commissioner Robert Manfred on Tuesday, demanding written answers to a list of questions “for what appears to be a pattern of discrimination within MLB against baseball players who profess their Christian faith.” The letter comes after three San Francisco Giants pitchers were given warnings that writing Bible verses on their caps violated MLB policy.
The pitchers — Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker — all played in Friday night’s game, and each had written references from the book of Genesis next to the team’s logo on the rainbow-clad Pride-themed hats. The verse in question was Genesis 9:12-16, which references the rainbow as a sign of God’s covenant to Noah in the Old Testament after the flood and has become a popular reference for religious players to wear in lieu of LGBTQ paraphernalia.
What does MLB think it’s doing penalizing players for their Christian faith?
They owe us some answers. Right now. pic.twitter.com/yDPmjC6SMZ
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) June 16, 2026
However, MLB officials reportedly told the players not to do it again, citing league policy that prohibits writing on team uniforms.
“MLB has said this is content-neutral policy and MLB ‘respect(s) players’ rights to free expression,’” Hawley wrote. “But this is dubious, given that MLB is openly promoting a political viewpoint and possibly compelling adherence to that viewpoint.”
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Hawley pointed to reports from last month that revealed the Washington Nationals had fired a community relations executive after he was caught on camera talking about an alleged social media ban on a Catholic pitcher.
Now, the Missouri senator is demanding the commissioner provide answers to five questions detailing the MLB’s uniform regulation that the Giants pitchers were allegedly in violation of as well any “internal guidance governing writing, markings, or symbols on player apparel and equipment.”
Hawley also requested a list of every instance in the past five years in which a player was warned, fined or disciplined under that regulation; any league policy that excludes players from team-controlled media or promotion based on religious beliefs; and any policy that requires players to wear Pride Night attire during games; among other things.
“The freedom to live out one’s faith does not end at the ballpark gate,” Hawley wrote. “Americans of every creed are entitled to confidence that the institutions of our national pastime will not single out religious expression for punishment while celebrating messages of the league’s own choosing.”
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The MLB commissioner has until June 19 to answer.