The New York Mets have condemned Javier Baez's 'thumbs down' gesture during their victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
Baez stated that he gave the 'thumbs down' following a home run as a response to Mets fans booing him and his teammates.
"We're not machines, we're going to struggle," Baez said after the game. "It just it just feels bad. When we strike out, I strike out I get booed.
"If we win together, then we got to lose together, you know, and the fans are really a big part of it. So in my case, they got to be better. I'll play for the fans and I love the fans. But, you know, if they're going to do that, they just put more pressure on the team. And that's not that's not what we want."
The likes of Francisco Lindor and Kevin Pillar also flashed the gesture after their respective hits.
The Mets said that "these comments, and any gestures by [Baez] or other players with a similar intent, are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
New York improved to 63-67 following Sunday's 9-4 win over Washington, but remain seven games back of the final NL wild card spot.
