An on-field altercation between Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor and Cleveland Guardians catcher Austin Hedges on June 28, 2026, has reignited scrutiny over Naylor's past, including a newly detailed 2016 minor league stabbing incident.
During the sixth inning of the game in Cleveland, Herrin hit Naylor with a pitch, prompting suspicions that Naylor intentionally leaned into the ball.
A heated exchange followed between Naylor and his former teammate Hedges, which was analyzed by cleveland.
com beat reporters Joe Noga and Paul Hoynes on the Cleveland Baseball Talk Podcast.
"Nobody likes you. Literally, nobody likes you.
And you could read, read his lips... it’s pretty clear on the audio that he said, nobody likes you," said Joe Noga, Reporter.
The tension on the field highlights the complex interpersonal relationships within Major League Baseball clubhouses, where long seasons can strain ties between former teammates.
"Just because you’re teammates doesn’t mean you have to get along. And, you know, I’m sure they were in the same clubhouse for, what, parts of five seasons?
Maybe they rubbed each other wrong. Maybe one guy thought the other guy talked too much.
Who knows? You know, 26 guys are not all going to get along.
That’s a rare occasion when it happens," said Paul Hoynes, Reporter.
Stone Garrett Details 2016 Knife Incident
Following the viral exchange, former Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Stone Garrett corroborated the narrative of Naylor's volatile behavior by detailing a 2016 prank that resulted in a severe injury while they were minor league teammates in the Miami Marlins system.
"Josh Naylor liked to play stupid games," said Stone Garrett, Former Player.
Garrett elaborated on the apartment environment and the specific actions leading up to the knife injury via social media comments on June 29.
"Dude would come into our apartment (we were neighbors) with aerosol and lighters multiple times, that wasn’t his first time in our apartment with a butcher's knife, the guy hid in my closet waiting for me to get home, when I went to hang my shirt up he jumped out with a knife pointed at me," said Stone Garrett, Former Player.
The incident resulted in an immediate hospital visit and a subsequent organizational effort to keep the altercation internal.
"It caught my thumb, sliced it wide open, I went to the ER (he waits for me when I get back, first question is ‘are you gonna press charges?’
) next day coach holds team meeting saying front office wants to keep it hush hush lmao," said Stone Garrett, Former Player.
Garrett required surgery for the nerve damage and noted the minimal disciplinary actions taken by the franchise before Naylor was ultimately traded.
"I get surgery (he cut my nerve, still can’t feel my right thumb), he got suspended for one game lol, two weeks later he goes to the futures game and gets traded.
He is the most psychotic person I’ve ever met in my life," said Stone Garrett, Former Player.
Heavy.
com reported that despite the renewed external controversy and his historical behavior, Naylor signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract with Seattle in November 2025 and continues to maintain strong support from current teammates like pitcher Bryan Woo.
