Anthony Rizzo Aug 15, 2022; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo (48) talks with umpire DJ Reyburn (17) during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Rizzo has been on quite a downslide at the plate the past 17 games. Having gone 12-for-60 with five home runs and 12 strikeouts prior to taking the field Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays, his frustrations boiled over after a questionable call from the home plate umpire.

During Rizzo’s at-bat in the bottom of the third inning, the New York Yankees’ first baseman was hit in the thigh on a slider from Ryan Yarbrough. As Rizzo trotted his way towards first, believing he would be walked, the home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn surprisingly called him back after claiming Rizzo didn’t “make enough effort” to get out of the way of the ball.

Clearly upset with the call, Rizzo kept his cool and remained in the batter’s box.

After striking out and heading into the dugout, YES Network cameras caught the first basemen smashing his helmet into a row of shelves before walking to the other side.

It doesn’t take the world’s best lipreader to figure out what Rizzo was saying in the dugout.

Rizzo remained in the game, where he picked up his 18th double of the season off Rays opener Jalen Beeks.

Baseball fans on Twitter naturally reacted to the unusual call from the umpire, with some agreeing with the call and others, not so much.

Although the rule is rarely enforced, the ump’s decision was technically correct according to the MLB rulebook.

Despite holding a commanding 10-game lead in the AL East, New York has gone 3-10 in their last 13 games dating back to July 31.

Related: Yankees’ slide continues with another shutout loss; MLB world reacts

About Jasper Jones

A native east coaster via Connecticut, Jasper is a writer for The Comeback and Audacy Sports. He decided to head south for college, attending the University of Kentucky and graduating with a degree in broadcast journalism. Prior to joining The Comeback, Jones spent a year writing for FanSided's college football blog, Saturday Blitz, covering news surrounding the sport and recruiting. He spent the same amount of time doing some freelance work for the tabloid/sports outlet BlackSportsOnline. In his free time, Jones loves to cheer on his Kentucky Wildcats, collect sneakers, read a good book, and get in some gains at the gym. You can follow him on Twitter @jonesj2342.