Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Odubel Herrera was taken out of the game and benched Sunday for pouting and not hustling by manager Pete Mackanin.
Herrera tossed his bat and failed to hustle to first base on a pop fly in the second inning of a 2-1 loss to Atlanta. Mackanin said it was just the latest in a series of incidents for Herrera, and the interim manager wanted to "make sure he gets the message."
"Boys play Little League and men play Major League Baseball," Mackanin told reporters after the game. "We will not pout, we will not feel sorry for ourselves. If you want to, then you don't belong here. He had to learn a lesson. ...
"Lately he's been showing his emotions a little bit more. We're just not going to stand for it. He's got to understand that it doesn't work that way. I'm sure he's going to understand."
Herrera, a rookie who was selected in the December Rule 5 draft from Texas, is hitting .293 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs this season for the Phillies, who have the worst record in the majors at 56-94.
"This game is easy to play when everything is going your way," Mackanin said. "When you're hitting and pitching and winning games, it's easy. Character comes out when you're struggling. What kind of person are you? ... You cannot afford to pout or feel sorry for yourself at this level. You've got to play like a man."