Giants' Joc Pederson explains fantasy football beef with Reds' Tommy Pham that led to on-field slap
The Cincinnati Reds came away with a 5-1 win against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night, but it was the odd circumstances that led to an on-field confrontation just before the game that caused a buzz.
The Athletic reported before the game that fantasy football was the reason Reds left fielder Tommy Pham slapped Giants left fielder Joc Pederson during batting practice. Pederson confirmed that account after the game with a detailed explanation of a fantasy football dispute that bubbled under the surface for months.
"We were in a fantasy league together. I put a player on the injured reserve when they were listed as out and added another player," Pederson said. "There was a text message in the group saying that I was cheating because I was stashing players on my bench. I looked up the rules and sent a screenshot of the rules that says when a player is ruled out, you're allowed to put him on the IR."
Pham, 34, was scratched just before the Friday night matchup and refused to speak about the conflict with reporters after the game. Pederson recorded the Giants' only RBI of the night when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Major League Baseball says it's investigating the pregame incident.
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