Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana took a swing at a fan while in the bullpen during Thursday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
The wild confrontation was caught on video as the Pirates reliever swung, but failed to connect with a heckler situated above the bullpen.
#MLBenSala ⚾️ El relevista Dennis Santana intentó golpear a un fanático que supuestamente lo estaba molestando en el Bullpen.
— LA SALA DEPORTIVA (@LaSalaDeportiva) June 20, 2025
El fanático en cuestión parece llevar una camiseta de los Piratas de Pittsburgh y gorra de los Tigres de Detroit. pic.twitter.com/gKSHowT9R7
Santana pointed the man out to security, but apparently decided to handle the situation himself by taking a swat at the spectator. Santana was led away by teammates as additional fans ran over to the offending fan and added their voices to the heckling chorus.
Santana managed to compose himself enough to pitch later in the game. After the game, Santana told reporters that the fan had “crossed the line.”
“He crossed the line, and I’d like to leave it at that,” he said through a translator. “I’ve never had anything like this happen in my eight years in baseball.”
The Pirates reliever says he “regrets” his behavior. It remains to be seen if that regret will be enough to dissuade the commissioner from what will likely be a stiff fine.
The Pirates won the game, 8-4.
