Manny Machado Apr 4, 2023; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres designated hitter Manny Machado (right) is ejected by home plate umpire Ron Kulpa (left) during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

We know that the pitch clock is going to add some new wrinkles to the 2023 Major League Baseball season.

We’ve already seen batters get assessed a strike for something a baserunner did (or didn’t do).

Now, we’ve got an ejection that stemmed from a strikeout caused by a pitch clock violation. And it’s causing the MLB world to have some conflicting thoughts.

San Diego Padres star Manny Machado was staring down a 3-2 count in the first inning on Tuesday when he took too long to get in the batter’s box. Umpire Ron Kulpa called strike three due to the violation and Machado immediately started arguing. Kulpa then ejected Machado over something he said, ending the slugger’s day very early.

This is exactly the kind of situation that we’ve been waiting to see this season. You could make the case that Machado should have known the rules and gotten into the batter’s box sooner. You could also make the case that the umpire didn’t need to toss him over the violation, given how this is all very new for everyone and bound to be frustrating when it leads to a strikeout and the end of an inning.

The MLB world was mixed in its reaction to the moment. Some felt that Machado deserved what he got while others thought that Kulpa was overzealous in throwing the Padres star out of the game over it.

https://twitter.com/ScottSCroker/status/1643354891291869185

https://twitter.com/RandallPnkFloyd/status/1643353437227323392

[The Comeback on Twitter]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.