Rockies Rookie Benched After Giving Middle Finger to Braves Fans, Manager Calls Out 'Embarrassment'

Colorado Rockies center fielder Cole Carrigg will be out of the lineup for "a couple days" after he turned heads during Saturday's loss to the Atlanta Braves by giving the middle finger to fans at Truist Park.

"Cole made a mistake—he knows that is an embarrassment to the organization and that we don't stand for that," Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said Sunday, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com. "Listen, everybody makes mistakes. It's just one that he has to learn from. It's just that we will not put up with that here.

"So he is going to sit a couple days, because he's a guy that wants to play every day. That's the repercussions of this."

While Carrigg didn't start Sunday's game, he did enter as a pinch-hitter in the top of the seventh inning with his team trailing 2-1. He ultimately struck out swinging and stayed in the game to play center field.

The rookie made the gesture toward Braves fans after he could not haul in a Michael Harris II double on a diving attempt.

Two runs scored, which proved to be the difference in the game.

"First, I apologize to my teammates and the organization—that's not how I want to represent us," Carrigg said. "That's inexcusable on my part.

"With that being said, I'm somebody who's going to play at 110% every game and give my all to this team and to the game to try to win ballgames. That was a play that I felt could or could not have won the game, so I'm very passionate about that.

"Braves fans are pretty passionate themselves. Kudos to them. But that [the gesture] can't happen."

Rockies vs. Braves (08/29/2026)

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It was another development in a season to forget for the Rockies. Saturday's loss dropped them to 52-84, which is the worst record in the National League and tied with the Los Angeles Angels for the worst record in all of baseball.

They are playing out the string for what will be an eighth consecutive losing season.

As for Carrigg, he has played well at times in a small sample size. He is slashing .263/.345/.444 with 18 doubles, three triples, six home runs and 36 RBI in 67 games.

However, Colorado will attempt to snap its three-game losing streak Sunday without him.