Convinced the Angels weren’t going to call him up from Triple-A anytime soon, veteran reliever Brandon Lyon has opted out of his minor-league deal and become a free agent.
Lyon signed a minor-league contract with the Angels in February, but the 34-year-old right-hander was unimpressive at Triple-A with a 4.08 ERA and 9/8 K/BB ratio in 18 innings. Lyon was also sub par for the Mets last season before being released in July, but he was actually very effective in 2012.
OAKLAND, Calif. – Major League Baseball is looking into a video circulating on social media that appears to show Los Angeles Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon grab a fan by the shirt through the bleacher guardrails after Thursday night’s game in Oakland, a league spokesperson said Friday.
Rendon looks to have grabbed the fan’s shirt near his chest through the bars of the railing and exchanged words with him before appearing to take a swipe at the bill of the man’s ballcap and walking into the tunnel.
Angels spokesman Adam Chodzko says the team has no comment. The Angels do not play Friday, but the club expects Rendon to address the video Saturday in the clubhouse before the game against the Oakland Athletics in Oakland.
The video shows the fan, dressed in A’s colors, approach the railing as Rendon turns toward him from the tunnel walkway below. Rendon then appears to grab the man’s shirt and ask him what he just said, accusing the fan of calling him a derogatory term before swiping at his ballcap.
The A’s won the game 2-1.