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Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred told Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., that San Francisco Giants players who wrote references to Bible verses on their Pride Night hats will not face fines or disciplinary action as a result of the incident, while defending the league’s uniform policy at the center of the controversy.
In a June 19 letter published Monday on X by Hawley, Manfred said the MLB office issued “a routine oral warning” after Giants players added biblical references to caps bearing the team’s Pride logo. But he said the warning came before the league learned the Giants had not clearly told players they could wear regular caps instead.
“The players have not been disciplined or sanctioned, and they never will be,” Manfred wrote.
San Francisco Giants pitcher Landen Roupp wrote “Genesis 9:12-16” on his Pride-Night-themed hat. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
However, at least one Giants player opted out of the Pride Night cap. Reliever Sam Hentges wore the team’s standard cap instead of the Pride Night version during the game.
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Hawley characterized the response as an admission by MLB that the league was “wrong to threaten Giants players over Bible verses.” On June 16, the Missouri Republican sent Manfred a letter asking why MLB had warned players for “publicly expressing their Christian faith” on their caps during San Francisco Pride Night.
The exchange came after Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said the Justice Department had referred the case to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, arguing that MLB’s handling of the warnings raised concerns of religious discrimination.
The controversy began after Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote references to Bible verses on rainbow logo caps during the team’s Pride Night game on June 12. Roupp wrote “Gen 9:12-16,” referencing a passage in Genesis that describes the rainbow as a sign of God’s covenant after the flood.
MLB initially said the writing violated league rules prohibiting players from altering their uniforms or equipment. In his letter to Hawley, Manfred said that rule was collectively negotiated with the MLB Players Association and prohibits players from writing, attaching, affixing, embroidering or otherwise displaying messages on clothing or playing equipment.
“The policy is applied without regard to the substance of the message,” Manfred wrote.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Giants players who wrote Bible verses on Pride Night hats will not face fines or disciplinary action because of the controversy. (Photos Mary Holt/WBCI/MLB)
Manfred said the purpose of this rule is to prevent players from becoming messengers for political or social issues while in uniform, as many messages can offend a portion of the fan base, even if that is not the player’s intention.
But Manfred also acknowledged that MLB has tried to avoid putting players in the position of having to participate in commemorative events that might conflict with their religious beliefs or values.
“We understand that some players or other on-field personnel may not feel comfortable wearing the Pride emblem on their uniform due to their religious beliefs,” Manfred wrote.
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The issue is not MLB’s first controversy involving Pride-themed uniforms, as Rays players refused to wear Pride logos in 2022 and former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw wrote the same Genesis reference on a Pride-themed cap last season.
The commissioner said MLB adopted a policy in 2023 prohibiting clubs from using special uniforms, hats or equipment for team celebration days except in special circumstances, such as patches honoring deceased members of the baseball community or commemorating baseball milestones.
However, Manfred said the Dodgers and Giants were allowed to continue using the Pride emblems on uniforms and hats under a grandfathered exception because Los Angeles and San Francisco are home to large LGBTQ communities and both clubs wanted to show support for those fans.
A special logo for Pride Night is displayed at Oracle Park in San Francisco on June 12, 2026. (Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images)
MLB agreed to this exception on the condition that no player or uniformed staff member be required to wear this equipment and that each club ensures that players are comfortable in this clothing, according to Manfred.
Manfred said the Giants’ communication with players this year was “inadequate and unclear” and added that some players did not understand they had the option to wear their normal uniforms and added messages on Pride caps “accordingly.”
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“In conclusion, MLB believes in the right of our players and fans to express their religious beliefs, and at the same time supports the communities in this country who are fans of our clubs, including the LGBTQ community,” Manfred wrote.
Manfred said MLB would maintain its ban on uniform modifications to avoid “censoring some messages but not others,” while continuing to work with players and clubs on policies that respect the values and beliefs of players and fans.
