Ahmad Austin Jr.Apr 23rd, 2026, 3:47 pm

Seattle Mariners pitcher Logan Gilbert on Wednesday caught a line drive that somehow managed to fly right into the small opening of his jersey.

In the first inning of the Mariners’ game against the Athletics, A’s right fielder Carlos Cortes hit the ball right back at Gilbert. After feeling the ball hit him, Gilbert immediately looked down at the ground to frantically look for it and try to get the out at first base. After a moment, the pitcher reached into his jersey and realized the ball was stuck in his uniform. Seconds later, he pulled the ball out in confusion.

A slow-motion replay of the action revealed the ball flew into the small space between the buttons of his jersey and nearly looped around his back.

Because the ball never hit the ground, viewers may have assumed the play would be ruled an out. The umpires on the field, however, awarded Cortes a single on the play. A report from MLB.com explained why:

The umpires immediately called time to stop play once they realized the ball had gotten stuck, in accordance with the MLB Umpire Manual’s Rule Interpretations, which say that a batted or thrown ball going inside a player or coach’s uniform is deemed out of play. At that point, it’s up to the umpire’s discretion to place the runners.

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