Clevenger’s Twitter account is currently private. Screen shots of the tweets showed Clevenger made disparaging comments about protesters, tweeting, “Keep kneeling for the Anthem” and “BLM is pathetic once again! Obama you are pathetic once again! Everyone involved should be locked behind bars like animals!”
Clevenger was informed of the suspension on Friday. He will lose 10 days' pay from his $516,500 salary in the major leagues, which comes to $28,224, according to The Associated Press.
The Major League Baseball Players Association could challenge the suspension, but has not yet commented on the case.
Mariners Executive Vice President and General Manager Jerry Dipoto released a statement Thursday afternoon:
"The Seattle Mariners are very disappointed at the tweets posted on Steve Clevenger's account. While he is certainly free to express himself, his tweets do not in any way represent the opinions of the Seattle Mariners. We strongly disagree with the language and tone of his comments. We are currently examining all internal options that are available to us as we determine appropriate next steps. We will have no further comment at this time."
On Thursday night, MLB on FOX reporter Ken Rosenthal shared a statement from Clevenger, who apologized for "the distraction my tweets on my personal Twitter page caused when they went public.”
"I am sickened by the idea that anyone would think of me in racist terms," continued Clevenger's statement. "My tweets were reactionary to the events I saw on the news and were worded beyond poorly at best and I can see how and why someone could read into my tweets far more deeply than how I actually feel."
Statement from Steve Clevenger
Posted by Ken Rosenthal on Thursday, September 22, 2016
"First and foremost I would like to apologize to the Seattle Mariners, my teammates,...
Clevenger appeared in 22 games for the Mariners this season. He has been on disabled list with a fractured hand since June 30.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
About the Author