Infielder Joshua Kuroda-Grauer may have broken a record against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday, but it came at the cost of breaking something else, too.

The Athletics player had just hit his first MLB home run, but his hot streak soon came to an end in the fifth inning in the worst way possible.

'I think he might be the only player in major league history.'

Kuroda-Grauer took a big swing and fouled a ball that, in most cases, would either land harmlessly near the batter's box or bounce off his foot or leg.

On this occasion the odds were not in the young player's favor when he smashed the foul ball right off his groin. First dropping to his knees, Kuroda-Grauer appeared to be in excruciating pain before eventually lying flat on the ground motionless for some time.

After about three and a half minutes, the 23-year-old somehow got to his feet and stepped back up to the plate — and, remarkably, smacked a single to right field.

Kuroda-Grauer was even able to come out and play defense in the bottom of the inning, but ESPN reported later in the evening that the player left the game in the sixth inning and was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery for a ruptured testicle.

By continuing to play, and even get a hit, Kuroda-Grauer showed an insane amount of grit and determination that only an MLB manager can truly appreciate.

"I think he might be the only player in Major League history to, you know, fracture a testicle, stay in the game, get a hit, and not only that, play a half-inning of defense," Athletics manager Mark Kotsay told a reporter on Tuesday. "It shows the fight that this kid has, desire to be on the field, and just the will and the want. It's pretty remarkable."

Taking time to consider the gruesome injury, Kotsay said it was indeed "bad timing."

Kuroda-Grauer, a New Jersey native, was just called up to the majors for the first time at the end of June. Monday's game was only his 16th in the big show, where he was batting a whopping .417 with 25 hits in 60 at-bats.

At the same time, the Athletics had been sticking around the middle of the pack in the American League, with their young stars seemingly starting to figure things out — that is, until a late-June collapse saw the team lose 14 out of 15 games. The team losing its hottest bat in Kuroda-Grauer simply adds even more insult to injury.

The A's did manage to beat the Diamondbacks on Monday, though, 5-2.

Norm Hall/Getty Images

Kuroda-Grauer is recovering well, according to his manager, who said the infielder had to stay in hospital for a second night.

"He'll stay one more night in the hospital and then travel back to Sac," Kotsay said unironically, referring to Sacramento.

Shockingly, Kuroda-Grauer was only placed on the 10-day injured list following his surgery, meaning he could return to action in the first week of August.

"There's no real timeline for this," Kotsay added. "It's obviously a unique injury. [I'm] thankful that he's going to be fine and [this] doesn't impact his life."

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Whitlock: MLB can’t spend 'Pride Month' mocking America and then wave a flag

Major League Baseball was determined to wrap this year’s All-Star Game in red, white, and blue. But according to BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock, it felt less like a celebration of America and more like a carefully scripted PR campaign.

“They tried way too hard to have this great patriotic moment last night,” Whitlock says, pointing out that instead, it “came off as fake and gay.”

“They want you to fake it, and they want you to be as fake as they are. And so they had players standing on the field holding cards and pretending to interact with kids and holding sparklers, and Patti LaBelle sang one of the worst national anthems in the history of All-Star games,” he explains.

“America has slid off the rails, and you’re just trying to put a happy face on this, you're trying to reconnect people to Americana and some sort of pride satisfaction with America, but it can’t be done. It can’t be faked. It can’t be manufactured. And that’s what it was last night,” he continues.

Whitlock also notes that the MLB “just spent the last month on its knees kissing the LGBTQ’s rear end and stuffing Pride Night down our throat.”

“It’s going to take real work, not nostalgic moments with players holding sparklers in between innings, celebrating the 250th birthday of America in a fake way,” he says.

“Patriotism is real and organic, and it’s about shared values and people that take pride, real pride ... in their country," he continues, "And Major League Baseball doesn’t do that. Professional sports don’t do that. Professional sports for the last decade have been a tool to denigrate America."

“And you don’t just get to, ‘Well, we’re going to stop doing that and pivot, and now we’re patriotic again.’ No, no, no, no. The only way you get to do that is when you repent for what you’ve been doing for the last decade and a half, two decades,” he adds.

He recalls the MLB's promotion of DEI, racial idolatry, Black Lives Matter slogans — and "Pride."

Whitlock explains that the MLB participates in not the Christian culture of the country, but in being a “safe space” for “sexual perversion.”

“That’s why they can’t now turn around and say, ‘Hey, we’re about, you remember all that nostalgic stuff in the '80s and '90s. We’re about that. We’re about family.’ No, you’re not. You’re about the mirage. You’re about same-sex marriage. You’re not about what made America great,” he says.

“The whole thing was fake,” he says, adding, “I’m going to keep it 1,000% real.”

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Christian fan says she was ejected from Detroit Tigers game over pro-Jesus shirt: 'I have the right to wear that'

A woman says she was treated like a criminal at a Detroit Tigers game because she was wearing a shirt that expressed her faith.

The incident happened on June 19 during a game between the Tigers and Chicago White Sox, where fan Paige Combs-Morgan was seen in the seats behind home plate.

'Put it down, shut off the recording.'

Combs-Morgan told New Media Detroit that she was escorted out of Comerica Park in Detroit after staff told her the message on her shirt was offending other fans.

A video showed Combs-Morgan in the front row behind home plate — typically the most expensive seats — moving left and right with her arms out while wearing a hoodie that read, "Jesus Over Pride."

In a self-shot video, Combs-Morgan can be heard saying, "They’re kicking me out because of my shirt," as she is being escorted through the halls of the stadium.

"We have received a couple complaints," a staff member can faintly be heard telling her.

After entering what appears to be a security office, one individual can be heard telling Combs-Morgan to “put your phone down,” before saying, “We’re not going to tape this.”

"Put it down, shut off the recording," a man is heard saying.

The woman told the Detroit outlet that multiple police officers and stadium representatives escorted her out of the stadium after that.

"They acted like I committed a crime for existing there," she claimed.

The Tigers organization said that Combs-Morgan's ejection was not over her shirt; it was due to her conduct.

"We received several complaints from fans seated behind home plate during Friday's game, who reported another fan's behavior as being disruptive to their ballpark experience," the team said in a statement to Blaze News.

The team said that Combs-Morgan not only made "frequent walks and poses" across the front row of seats in camera-visible areas that obstructed the view of others, but she was warned by staff that "she would be ejected if the behavior continued," as it violated Tigers' stadium rules.

The team pointed to their code of conduct, which contains the following directive: "Guests should refrain from any action that disrupts other guests' enjoyment of the game."

The Tigers spokesman concluded, "She was later escorted from the ballpark because the behavior persisted, and not because of her attire."

The ball club provided multiple images of the fan making gestures in the 2nd and 6th inning, seemingly showing her making waving motions with her arms.

This was is in addition to video that showed Combs-Morgan walking across the front row of seats with drinks in her hands.

Images courtesy Detroit Tigers/MLB

In her interview with New Media Detroit, Combs-Morgan told the host she did walk to the bathroom and "made my shirt known, but just like everybody else does when they want to make a point."

As for her inspiration, Combs-Morgan said she took issue with the MLB's warning to San Francisco Giants pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their caps and said these types of protests only seem to be an issue when they are supportive of Christianity.

"I have the right to wear that. And just like everybody else, like everyone else flaunts whatever they believe in, but you don't see people wearing anything about religion because this is exactly what happens," the fan stated.

She continued, "And I got kicked out not because of how I was acting in any sort of way. I was told specifically by two people that I was offensive for wearing that shirt."

"I completely got kicked out because it offended people," she added, contradicting the Tigers organization.

Combs-Morgan also said she felt the organization was trying to "intimidate" her and did not want her to "talk about my rights."

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MLB says warning Christian players was a mistake — but confirms 2 teams are allowed to push Pride propaganda

Major League Baseball says it was wrong to issue warnings to San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible verses on their caps.

Specifically, Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker were threatened with discipline after writing different forms of Genesis 9:12-16 on team caps that support transgenderism and other sexualities, with the league citing violations of its uniform policy.

'The players were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be.'

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) had sent a letter to the MLB on June 16 calling out the league for promoting Black Lives Matter in 2020 and becoming a "billboard" for political messaging, yet still issuing a warning to the Giants pitchers last week.

MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred responded to Hawley on Monday, who posted the letter online for all to see. In the text, Manfred revealed that the Giants' communication with players was "inadequate and not clear" regarding their option to wear Pride hats. He claimed that some players did not understand they had the option to wear the normal Giants cap instead.

The commissioner's office said "unfortunately" it issued a "routine oral warning" before it became aware of the Giants' "lapse in communication."

Players "should not be compelled to participate in a celebratory event ... if such participation would violate their sincere religious beliefs or values," Manfred told Hawley.

The MLB boss later confirmed, "The players were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be."

In the same letter, Manfred revealed that only two teams are permitted to wear special gay-themed hats in games: the Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Despite the league saying in 2023 that it would not permit clubs to utilize unauthorized hats, the clubs submitted special requests to have their Pride hats grandfathered in, and their requests were granted.

These "Pride Night" hats were justified by Manfred, who claimed it was because the cities have "some of the largest LGBTQ communities in the United States."

However, players are not required to wear them, as he previously stated.

Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images

The commissioner cited other "faith/religious-related games" and nights that "celebrate different ethnicities or nationalities" at MLB ballparks and said that the league "does not regulate these events, but also does not permit Clubs or players to utilize special uniforms/equipment for such games, or alter the uniform or equipment."

However, for 12 league-wide events, MLB teams are mandated by the head office to alter their uniforms. Those days are:

Mother's Day, Father's Day, Armed Forces Weekend, Play Ball Weekend, Memorial Day, Lou Gehrig Day, Independence Day, Hall of Fame Weekend, Childhood Cancer Awareness Day, September 11th, Jackie Robinson Day, and Roberto Clemente Day.

Manfred said the league has had "no significant complaints from fans or players for those days."

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'He's my idol': Texas Rangers Father's Day celebration will bring you to tears

The Texas Rangers are pushing toward becoming the most family-oriented team in baseball.

Not only have the Rangers remained the sole annual holdout for Pride Night celebrations in the major leagues, this year they went above and beyond to celebrate fathers.

'I think there was a sense of love and respect that I got from him.'

The Rangers played to a 4-3 Father's Day win against the San Diego Padres on Sunday but put extra focus on the fathers on the team.

Rangers players and their many children lined up outside the dugout for the national anthem before the game, and the family-oriented promotions continued throughout the day.

Aside from bringing their kids onto the field, players participated in a video that talked about how their fathers motivated them and contributed to their lives and careers.

First to make remarks was pitcher Jacob deGrom, who said his father still plays catch with him in the offseason, continuing his dedication to his son's baseball path since he was a boy.

"My dad was willing to hit me as many grounders as I want, throw me as much batting practice as I want, and play catch as long as I wanted," deGrom recalled. "Once he got off work, pretty much it was we were going to play something till it was time to go inside and eat and go to bed."

Relief pitcher Jacob Latz said he idolizes his father for his drive and motivation.

"He's my idol," Latz plainly stated. "I don't think he's ever taken a nap in his life."

The 30-year-old continued: "Looking back on how far we've come and then, you know, just to have those moments, still being able to play catch with him at his age is pretty cool."

First baseman and slugger Jake Burger revealed his dad grew up working on a turkey farm in Southern Indiana, filling up buckets of feed for the turkeys.

"Every single morning at 5:00 a.m.," Burger explained.

Burger was born in Missouri but said his father carried over that work ethic and instilled it in him growing up.

"I think there was a sense of love and respect that I got from him, and that's how I want to exhibit it to my kids too."

The Rangers also posted some dad jokes to round out the day, asking questions like, "How does the moon style his hair?"

"Eclipse it," outfielder Brandon Nimmo read.

Pitcher Nathan Eovaldi asked, "What did the scarecrow win an award for?"

"He was out standing in the field."

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Detroit Lions in the crosshairs for skipping Juneteenth — but an entire major sports league did too

The day that honors the end of slavery was celebrated unanimously across most sports leagues, with some notable exceptions.

One was the Detroit Lions, who confused fans with their decision not to post any materials in support of Juneteenth.

'It must have been an accident.'

Given that Juneteenth was first recognized as a holiday in 2021 by President Joe Biden, it is not unusual for the day to be overlooked by the common sports fan. For most pro sports teams though, every possible iteration of race or cultural politics typically gets marked down on the calendar.

This was why football fans were confused when the Lions opted not to post anything for Juneteenth, with one Lions supporter assuming "it must have been an accident."

"Just go look at the Lions profile picture," the fan noted; the Lions' X photo features transgender and gay pride colors.

There was no mention of the new holiday from the National Hockey League either, Fox News reported.

The league is only a week removed from the last game of the Stanley Cup Finals, so it is possible employees are on hiatus. However, the NHL has been deeply involved in diversity efforts for years — especially since the Black Lives Matter era — making this a strange move for the league as well.

Diamond Images/Getty Images

Some players in the league previously complained the NHL wasn't doing enough to support diversity, even after the hiring of a woman named Kim Davis to serve as the executive vice president of social impact, growth initiatives, and legislative affairs.

With a goal to bring diversity to the league and its C-suite, Davis described hockey as a "tribe" that needs to "feel more welcoming."

This eventually led to the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition, which has since wreaked havoc on the league with its initiatives.

Blaze News previously reported on the league-wide controversies surrounding Pride jerseys, Pride tape, and player backlash.

Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Still, NFL fans seemed split on the latest issue online, either dragging the Lions organization for not supporting Juneteenth or being puzzled as to why they support other progressive celebrations if they are able to avoid this one.

"I just find it wild that they can support LGBTQ but not black people especially since most of their team is Black," an X user wrote.

Another reaction from the story had one fan saying they had grown to hate the "weird idea of social media telling teams what to do."

With the Lions as the lone standout in the NFL, they join the Texas Rangers of the MLB who similarly are the only team in their league not to celebrate gay pride with a dedicated night.

The Lions and the NHLPA, which runs the Player Inclusion Coalition along with the NHL, did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

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SF Giants commentator compares gays to black people as 'oppressed' minority following Christian protest

San Francisco Giants sportscaster Mike Krukow vehemently defended the team's Pride Night celebration in lengthy remarks after three pitchers wrote Bible verses on their hats.

Pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker wrote differing forms of "Genesis 9:12-16" on their Giants rainbow-themed hats last week, and veteran commentator Krukow says it was a big mistake.

'The strength of this city is its ethnicity, its culture.'

Krukow's diatribe came after hosts on radio station KNBR asked him on Tuesday if he had any thoughts on the protest. Krukow did not hold back, directly comparing the "gay community" to black Americans by referring to homosexuals as an oppressed "minority."

"It's hard to put it into perspective when you have so much emotion and so much of love for people who have been pinged at and oppressed and there was so much prejudice at you," Krukow attempted to explain. "The gay community has had to deal with issues, as the black community, as any minority community has had to."

The announcer championed the Giants organization's long history of supporting gay people, which he said dated back to 1994 when it raise money for AIDS research. This was just one of the reasons Krukow said it was the duty of Giants players to understand the culture of the city, and thus, to support gay events.

Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire/Getty Images

"It's your responsibility to know just how sensitive this city is in regards to that cultural freedom and religious freedom and just the way that you live your life. And I think they were in for a rude awakening with the response," Krukow said.

However, the protests did not prevent Giants fans from showing up at the next two home games. As Blaze News reported, attendance fluctuated in the days following the allegedly bigoted acts, with more fans showing up on the Sunday after Pride Night than they did on Pride Night itself.

The 74-year-old announcer made plenty more partisan comments during his radio appearance, saying the "ethnicity" and "freedom" of San Francisco is what makes the city great.

"The strength of this city is its ethnicity, its culture," Krukow claimed. "It's the freedom for people to be able to come to a city and be free. And that's a powerful thing."

Though Krukow frequently mentioned "freedom," he seems to have been referring to sexuality.

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Krukow did mention that he feels it is necessary to respect both sides of the issue.

Krukow said that complaints about the Pride Night protests were not from just "trolls," but rather "deep thoughts" and "educated opinion[s]" on why it is imperative to support the "gay community."

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