Mariners' Julio cancels Astros pitcher after alleged homophobic taunt

Mariners All-Star Julio Rodriguez said Thursday that he felt disrespected and had no plans to ever speak to Astros reliever Hector Neris after an altercation midway through Seattle's 8-3 loss to Houston Wednesday night.

Benches cleared after Neris struck out Rodriguez and then approached him and yelled at him in Spanish in a rant that allegedly included a hompophobic slur.

Mariners third baseman Eugenio Suarez told reporters after the game he initially thought Neris was joking, because Rodriguez and Neris had a good relationship. The two were teammates on the Dominican Republic national team at the World Baseball Classic this spring.

Neris denied the use of a homophobic slur in a statement, and said he did not intend to disrespect Rodriguez but understood why his actions could have been interpreted that way.

University of Washington Associate Professor Ana Fernández Dobao told KUOW that the word Neris was alleged to have said is vulgar, but not an insult or slur, although there are different meanings for words in different Spanish dialects.

An MLB representative told the Houston Chronicle that the league is looking into the incident.

Wednesday's game was tense throughout. Both teams are battling for the third and final spot in the American League Wild Card race and a berth in the 2023 Major League Playoffs.

Wednesday's 8-3 victory gives Houston a 1.5-game lead over Seattle with only four games left in the season.

The Mariner's begin their final four-game homestand against the AL West leading Texas Rangers Thursday night.