Tampa Bay Rays’ Zach Eflin Forced To Take Off His Wedding Ring In Game Against Pittsburgh Pirates

The ridiculousness is real in this story.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zach Eflin was absolutely mesmerizing in a seven inning showing Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, but what’s stealing the headlines is what happened after just one inning into the game.

Eflin was wearing his wedding ring on his glove hand when the umpires came to the mound — along with Rays manager Kevin Cash — and told him to remove it or he’d be ejected, ESPN reported. The call came despite other umpire crews having no problem with him wearing the ring, according to Eflin.

“This is the first crew that’s really given me trouble about taking the ring off,” Eflin said after throwing seven shutout innings against the Pirates in a 3-2 Rays win.

Married in 2020, Eflin started wearing his ring at the beginning of the 2021 campaign, keeping the ring in his pocket at first and then putting it on his necklace.

After the game, Eflin said that the majority of umpiring crews are “cool” with him wearing his ring, but that this particular crew was “on edge” about him removing it, according to ESPN.

“This umpire crew was kind of a little different. They seemed a little on edge,” said Eflin. “It’s part of it. I said, ‘If you’re going to eject me out of the game then I’ll take it off,’ and that’s what they ended up coming out and telling me on the mound.”

.@RaysBaseball righty Zach Eflin had to remove his wedding ring 😔 pic.twitter.com/P1lJdQzzvS

— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) May 4, 2023

Poor guy, you can tell the man was devastated about having to take his ring off. (RELATED: Baseball Dad In Florida Gets Slammed With Felony After Allegedly Straight Up Knocking Out Military Veteran Umpire)

Shame on the umpires.