Mariners Pitcher, Girlfriend Receive Death Threats After Phillies Loss

Seattle Mariners pitcher Tayler Saucedo and his girlfriend, Kelsie Scott, have been subjected to disturbing death threats on social media following Saucedo's poor performance in an 11-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Saucedo shared a vile Instagram message that wished harm on both him and his partner, prompting him to denounce the threats publicly and call for more respect toward players and their families. Scott highlighted that many of the hateful messages stemmed from sports betting losses, urging fans to stop gambling money they cannot afford to lose and emphasizing the mental health challenges athletes face. This incident reflects a broader issue in Major League Baseball, where players like Lance McCullers Jr., Liam Hendriks, and Carlos Rodón have also reported receiving threatening messages linked to game outcomes and fan betting frustrations. Mariners coach Mike Cameron advised Saucedo to focus on baseball and report abusive fans to MLB, underscoring the toxic nature of social media interactions with players. Saucedo, who has struggled this season and spent time in Triple-A, expressed his disappointment with his performance but condemned the personal attacks on him and his girlfriend as beyond the realm of baseball.