During a game between the Cardinals and Reds, Nick Castellanos crushed a grand slam off J.A. Happ to blow things open early. The Reds had loaded the bases with three solid singles, setting the stage for Castellanos, who has owned Happ historically. On a 1-2 pitch that leaked over the plate, Castellanos hammered it out. But after the celebration, the Cardinals noticed something odd about his bat.
Turns out the top of Castellanos’ bat was chipped. Cardinals manager Mike Shildt asked the umps to check if it was legal. The umpires huddled, unsure if a chipped bat violated any rule. They inspected it, determined it wasn’t doctored or corked, and ruled the homer would stand. They clarified Castellanos couldn’t use the bat again due to safety reasons, but since it wasn’t altered to provide an advantage, no penalties followed. Castellanos took it well, though he made a note of who requested the check.
In the end, everyone handled the situation calmly. Shildt explained after the game that it wasn’t meant to be a protest but more about getting clarity and enforcing bat safety. The dugouts had some laughs, and a young Reds fan walked away with the broken bat, so not a bad ending after all. The Reds got their runs, the Cardinals got an answer, and the umpires managed a rule situation without letting it derail the game.