Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen says Major League Baseball reprimanded him last season after he honored conservative activist Charlie Kirk by displaying his name on his cap during a game.

The controversy traces back to a September 2025 matchup in which Treinen wrote Charlie Kirk’s name alongside two crosses on the side of his hat following Kirk’s death. In interviews with both the Los Angeles Times and The California Post, Treinen said league officials later contacted him and informed him that MLB regulations prohibit players from placing personal messages on their uniforms during games.

“I got chastised by the league when I put Charlie [Kirk]’s name on my hat last year, because a man was murdered in cold blood,” Treinen told Los Angeles Times.

Treinen said the matter did not result in any official discipline, but league representatives made clear that future violations could carry financial consequences.

According to the pitcher, the issue gained renewed attention after several San Francisco Giants relievers were reportedly warned by MLB for displaying Bible verses on their caps during the team’s night festivities.

“Now these gentlemen who are relievers in San Francisco are getting chastised by the league for putting a Bible verse on their hat. It’s crazy to me,” Treinen said.

Major League Baseball acknowledged contacting the players but said the issue involved uniform-policy violations rather than the content of the messages themselves.

“The writing on the cap violates our rules and consistent with normal practice we have warned the players about future violations,” the league said in a statement.

MLB later emphasized that the warning was part of standard enforcement procedures and was not related to the religious or political nature of the messages displayed.

Treinen himself drew national attention earlier this month during the Dodgers’ Pride Night game against the Los Angeles Angels on June 5, when he declined to wear a Pride-themed cap while taking the mound.

Instead, the veteran reliever chose to wear the club’s standard uniform.

“My job is to abide by the rules,” Treinen told the Los Angeles Times. “Ultimately, the only rule we have is to wear our team-issued uniform. So that’s what I chose to do.”

The latest revelations have added fuel to an ongoing debate over personal expression in professional sports, with critics questioning whether leagues apply uniform policies consistently when players display religious, political, or social messages on the field.

{Matzav.com}