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.
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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.
