The Colorado Rockies have the worst record in baseball. And when you lose as often as the Rockies do, it makes sense for some frustration to play out in the open.
But it's also a lost season, and Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer sees that as an opportunity to teach his young players about how to handle mistakes. It's why he was willing to bench starting center fielder Cole Carrigg.
The 24-year-old rookie had an opportunity to preserve the Rockies' one-run lead against the Braves in the eighth inning on Saturday. But his diving attempt on a Michael Harris II line drive hit off his glove and led to the Braves taking the lead. As the Truist Park crowd was celebrating the clutch two-run double, we could see as Carrigg flashed his middle finger to the crowd.
Rockies rookie Cole Carrigg will be benched by manager Warren Schaeffer for a couple days after he flipped off fans in Atlanta, per @harding_at_mlb
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 30, 2026
"He knows that is an embarrassment to the organization." pic.twitter.com/gUno3q6Ug7
Schaeffer had strong words for Carrigg's reaction and called it an "embarrassment to the organization." He also said that Carrigg would be benched for a couple of games.
Carrigg indeed wasn't in the Rockies' starting lineup on Sunday. But he did enter the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and took over in center field.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Rockies manager said he's benching rookie center fielder for flipping off Braves crowd
