Los Angeles Angels outfielder Matt Joyce was scratched from the lineup on Monday after he arrived late to the ballpark. His excuse was pretty embarrassing.
On Tuesday, Joyce admitted to reporters that he thought his team’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays was a night game. First pitch was at 1:07 p.m.
“It was a mistake,” Joyce said, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “It’s definitely something that will never happen again. Obviously I felt terrible about it.”
Mike Scioscia categorized Joyce’s benching as a “lineup decision” on Monday, but it seemed strange that he wasn’t starting for the first time this season against a right-handed pitcher and was not called upon as a pinch-hitter.
“It’s just one of those things that should never happen,” Joyce added, admitting that he has also been fined by the team. “As a guy that’s been around and had some service time, I made a mistake. I assumed we had a night game since it was a day game Sunday and assumed we had a night game Monday since we normally always do. By the time I realized it was a day game it was a little late.”
The Angels ended up losing 10-6, but they probably weren’t missing much with Joyce out of the lineup. The 30-year-old is hitting just .148 in 33 games this season.
If you’re going to arrive late to the ballpark, you better have an excuse like the one this Texas Rangers reliever had last season. Mixing up the time of the game is something a Little Leaguer would do, and it sounds like Joyce realizes that.
H/T Eye on Baseball
