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A star pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers would not bow to gay Pride on Friday night, marking another instance of what has become a consistent occurrence for the organization for the last few years.
The Dodgers' 2026 Pride Night against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium was not without controversy, but the most contentious moment was saved for the end of the game.
'Blake Treinen is not a team player.'
In a year when MLB teams have significantly toned down home-game promotions of certain sexualities — most teams are simply offering special ticket packages — the Dodgers opted to wear hats that celebrate transgenderism, among other things, for the fifth straight year.
However, the team's progressive celebrations hit a bump in the road of total compliance when pitcher Blake Treinen entered the game in the ninth inning. "Blake Treinen's coming in!" the announcer said as Treinen entered the game.
As he jogged out to the mound, it was obvious to all that he was wearing a standard Dodgers cap, devoid of special themes. Viewers were apparently triggered over the idea that the 37-year-old wouldn't simply comply.
"Imagine hating gay people so much that you refuse to wear a hat with a rainbow on it," one viewer wrote on X.
Popular baseball account "Not Gaetti" said fans should be horrified that Treinen won't put the rainbow hat on.
"Whatever your beliefs, it should horrify you that a guy who gets paid $11,000,000 per year can't be bothered to wear his employer-assigned uniform for the 5 minutes he spends in the ballgame," the fan wrote. "Blake Treinen is not a team player."
These comments don't represent everyone's views, though, especially not all Dodgers players or fans.
Recently retired Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was famously outspoken about the Pride Nights and even chose to write a Bible verse on his rainbow hat last season.
Kershaw had taken issue with the celebrations for years, speaking out against the team inviting the highly controversial and anti-Christian activist group Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in 2023. Kershaw said at the time he felt the group was making fun of his faith.
The group's invitation to Dodger Stadium also spawned a massive protest in response.
RELATED: Justin Bieber confesses Christian faith in candid livestream
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The Dodgers debuted their Pride hats in 2022, and interestingly, although Treinen has played on the team since the tradition began, this was the first time he pitched on a Pride Night. Treinen was injured during the 2022 and 2023 events and simply wasn't put into the games in 2024 and 2025.
Last year, Treinen made headlines for a different kind of political activism when he wore a message in support of Charlie Kirk after Kirk was assassinated during a campus tour stop in Utah.
Treinen's hat read "Charlie Kirk" across the side, with a cross on both sides.
Treinen pitched one-third of an inning on Friday. The Dodgers won 1-0 on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.
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