Kevin Pillar Under Investigation After Yelling at Jason Motte During Loss

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar apologized publicly to Atlanta Braves pitcher Jason Motte on Wednesday after yelling at him because of a perceived quick pitch.

According to Mark Townsend of Yahoo Sports, Pillar appeared to yell a gay slur at Motte after he struck him out in the seventh inning. MLB is reportedly investigating the incident, per CBC Sports. 

Per MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm, Pillar was remorseful with regard to the incident:

"Yeah, I mean, obviously that was the initial thing I was upset about but I think it just stems from a little frustration in myself and just the way this series has been going. It was immature, it was stupid, it was uncalled for. It's part of the game, it's just, I'm a competitive guy and a heat of the moment. Obviously I'm going to do whatever I've got to do to reach out and apologize and let him know he didn't do anything wrong, it was all me. Obviously something to learn from, something to move on from. Don't let it define me but really I think it was just frustration from coming off a really good homestand and really just not even being in any of these ball games, just coming out flat and not being able to build on what we were able to build on against Seattle. That just all came out in that moment."

He would also release a statement on Twitter regarding the incident: 

The Blue Jays followed with a statement of their own on the incident:

"The Toronto Blue Jays are extremely disappointed by the comments made by Kevin Pillar following his at-bat during the 7th inning of last night’s game. In no way is this kind of behavior accepted or tolerated, nor is it a reflection of the type of inclusive organization we strive to be. We would like to extend our own apologies to all fans, Major League Baseball and especially the LGBTQ community.

We know Kevin to be a respectful, high-character individual who we hope will learn from this situation and continue to positively contribute and live up to our values on and off the field."

The incident between Pillar and Motte built tension that boiled over when Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista flipped his bat following an eighth-inning home run.

Pitcher Eric O'Flaherty and the Braves didn't react positively to the move, which led to both benches clearing.

Toronto went on to lose the game 8-4, marking its third loss to the Braves in three days.

After reaching the ALCS in both 2015 and 2016, the Jays are currently last in the AL East at 17-24, trailing the New York Yankees by nine games.