The Cleveland Guardians emerged with one of their most uplifting wins of the season on Sunday when they rallied for five eighth-inning runs to defeat the Seattle Mariners. It may have been spurred by an altercation with one of their former players.
An in-game spat between Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor and Guardians catcher Austin Hedges has gone viral. It seems the heated back-and-forth between the former teammates may have more to it than a controversial hit by pitch.
Analyst Matt Dery is clearing the air about the Hedges-Naylor exchange, saying that it revealed how the Guardians and the rest of baseball really feel about Naylor.
“That back and forth was pretty telltale on where the team is with Naylor. Josh is not very popular around the league either. We all seemed to love him when he was here, and he delivered a lot. He had really good years here. What Hedges said about him, I think most of the team there probably feels the same way,” Dery said.
"That back and forth was pretty tell tale on where the team is with Naylor. Josh is not very popular around the league either."
📞@DerySpeaks on Austin Hedges and Josh Naylor exchanging words yesterday pic.twitter.com/phm7BNnHPd
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) June 29, 2026
Specifically, in the sixth inning on Sunday, Naylor seemed to lean into a pitch from reliever Tim Herrin instead of turning away from it. The tactic was called out by someone on the Guardians, and Naylor yelled a vulgar response toward Cleveland’s dugout.
As the chatter continued, Hedges told Naylor that “literally no one likes you.” It turns out the veteran leader may have been speaking for more than just himself.
Cleveland traded Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks after some very good seasons. He was coming off a 31-homer, 108-RBI campaign in 2024 and in line for a significant raise in arbitration, so, as is its usual stance, the organization parted with him before having to dole out a lucrative payday.
However, Dery pointed out that the Guardians also had concerns about Naylor’s postseason performances and his lack of hustle and poor attitude at times. Some of his on-field antics, including “rocking the baby” against the New York Yankees in the 2022 ALDS, may have rubbed some people the wrong way as well.
Now with the Mariners after one season with the Diamondbacks, Naylor continues to live up to that reputation. Earlier this month, he threw his protective sliding mitt at Detroit Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler during a play at home plate, and then was thrown at later in the game.
The Guardians’ reaction to Naylor is interesting, considering his brother, Bo Naylor, is still part of the organization, though maybe the catcher’s demotion to the minor leagues added to the animosity seen this weekend.
NEXT: Austin Hedges' Argument With Former Guardians Teammate Is Going Viral
