Pirates’ Don Kelly not thrilled after this Konnor Griffin hit-by-pitch goes uncalled

Don Kelly made sure everyone in the ballpark knew exactly how he felt.

The Pittsburgh Pirates manager was ejected Monday after umpires reviewed a play involving outfielder Konnor Griffin and ruled that Griffin had not been struck in the helmet by a pitch, a call that Kelly immediately and emphatically disputed, leading to one of the more heated manager ejections of the 2026 MLB season.

Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected after umpires reviewed this play and ruled that Konnor Griffin did not get hit in the helmet pic.twitter.com/bEMZPf3lCI

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) May 25, 2026

The incident quickly went viral, with frame-by-frame breakdowns showing just how close the play truly was. From the dugout’s vantage point, Kelly clearly saw enough to believe his young outfielder took a pitch to the helmet, and his reaction left zero doubt about where he stood on the matter.

Hit-by-pitch rulings have always carried a significant level of controversy, but the stakes are considerably higher when the ball appears to graze a batter’s helmet. Player safety is at the forefront of every umpiring decision in those moments, and when the call goes against the batter, it rarely goes over smoothly, especially when video evidence enters the conversation.

Griffin, a highly touted Pirates prospect who has drawn considerable attention with his raw tools and athleticism, was at the center of it all. For a young player still establishing himself at the big league level, moments like these can define a season’s emotional arc. Kelly’s aggressive defense of his player sent a clear message to the roster: the Pirates will fight for their own.

Ejections always carry a dual purpose in baseball. They relieve frustration and they fire up a team. Whether or not Kelly’s outburst changes the outcome of the reviewed call, the display of loyalty to Griffin spoke volumes about the culture Kelly is building in Pittsburgh.

Replay review was always meant to get calls right. On Sunday, not everyone in the Pirates dugout was convinced it did.

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