New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed frustration with the umpiring crew after receiving his first ejection of the 2026 season during an 11-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday at Yankee Stadium.
The incident occurred in the eighth inning following a balk call on Yankees pitcher Ryan Yarbrough.
With two outs and runners on first and second, first-base umpire Ryan Additon ruled Yarbrough had balked on a pickoff attempt to first base. The call advanced the runners, setting up an intentional walk to Mike Trout and a grand slam by Jo Adell that widened the Angels’ lead.
Boone initially approached home-plate umpire Will Little for clarification before returning to the field at the end of the inning. He was ejected by Little after seeking further explanation from Additon, with crew chief Lance Barksdale intervening.
“I still haven’t gotten good clarity, because of course, they got overly sensitive when I was as calm as could be,” Boone said, via MLB.com. “I wasn’t out there arguing. I just wanted to hear their explanation. I think it’s a fine play.”
Boone, who has led the American League in ejections in each of the past five seasons, described the pickoff as a standard defensive play that the Yankees had called. He noted dissatisfaction with the limited explanation provided by the umpires.
The ejection amplified ongoing tensions between managers and umpires, even as Major League Baseball implements the automated ball-strike system.
