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The Department of Justice may investigate whether Major League Baseball improperly targeted Christian players after three San Francisco Giants pitchers were warned for writing a Bible verse reference on their caps during a Pride Night game.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, said the department will review reports that MLB threatened players for displaying a biblical message and determine whether the league’s actions could constitute religious discrimination.
“Swing and a miss!” Dhillon wrote on social media. “Major League Baseball encouraged players to wear ‘Black Lives Matter’ on their uniforms but reportedly threatened Christians who write Bible verses on their game caps.”
The controversy stems from a June 12 game in which Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker wrote “Gen 9:12-16” on their caps. The passage references God’s covenant with humanity and the rainbow following the flood described in Genesis.
The game coincided with the team’s annual Pride Night celebration, part of a broader MLB initiative to welcome and recognize the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month.
MLB later informed the players that the writing violated the league’s uniform policy and issued routine warnings against repeating the practice in future games.
The league emphasized that the warning was not disciplinary and insisted it had nothing to do with the religious nature of the message.
“To be clear, this routine verbal warning not to wear the hat in future games is not disciplinary and had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message,” MLB said in a statement. “We respect players’ right to free expression.”
Critics have questioned whether the league applies its policies consistently, noting that MLB has previously permitted or promoted other social and political messages on uniforms and apparel.
Other conservative leaders applauded the move, including Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.
“Major League Baseball claims it does not tolerate discrimination based on religion, yet its actions tell a different story. If MLB applauds ideological messages it prefers while reprimanding expressions of Christian faith, that is not neutral rule enforcement—it is religious discrimination that cannot stand in Florida,” he posted to X.
Any DOJ review would likely focus on whether religious expression was treated differently from other forms of personal expression allowed by the league.
