Watch: Rob McElhenney turns double play with Utley, Harper

Rob McElhenney. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Rob McElhenney turns double play with Chase Utley, Bryce Harper

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jun 9, 2024 1:01 PM ET

Actor Rob McElhenney faced a predicament on Sunday: would he throw his first pitch to Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper or 2008 World Series champion Chase Utley?

Ultimately, the "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" star included both. Ahead of the London Series finale between the Phillies and New York Mets, McElhenney turned a double play with Utley and Harper instead of throwing the traditional first pitch.

Rob McElhenney just couldn't choose between Bryce Harper and Chase Utley to catch his first pitch ... so he turned a double play with them instead #LondonSeries pic.twitter.com/F3zcFAQyWn
— MLB (@MLB) June 9, 2024

McElhenney, Utley and Harper were recently featured in a popular London Series promo. In the skit, Utley finds out that McElhenney has been writing daily letters to Harper, asking him to play a game of catch.

Per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, this is a continuation of the 2009 "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" episode, "The World Series Defense," in which McElhenney's character, Mac, does the same with Utley.

Following the double play, McElhenney thanked Utley and MLB for inviting him to the London Series.

"To get a call from one of my best friends, Chase, and MLB to be a part of growing the sport of baseball in the UK was just such a great honor," he said, via Zolecki.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

More must-reads: