Rob Manfred 'Concerned' About 'Underlying Substance' of Brandon Taubman Tirade

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred commented for the first time on the actions of Houston Astros assistant general manager Brandon Taubman following the team's American League Championship Series victory over the New York Yankees. 

Sports Illustrated's Stephanie Apstein first reported Taubman was speaking to a group of female reporters when he yelled he was "so f--king glad we got Osuna!" in reference to closer Roberto Osuna. Osuna was serving a 75-game suspension for a violation of MLB's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy when the Astros acquired him in a trade.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Manfred said he was "concerned at this point about the underlying substance of the situation and what the atmosphere was," per Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston:

The Astros initially released a statement questioning the veracity of Apstein's reporting, per the Houston Chronicle's Chandler Rome:

"The story posted by Sports Illustrated is misleading and completely irresponsible. An Astros player was being asked questions about a difficult outing. Our executive was supporting the player during a difficult time. His comments had everything to do about the game situation that just occurred and nothing else—they were also not directed toward any specific reporters. We are extremely disappointed in Sports Illustrated's attempt to fabricate a story where one does not exist."

Taubman subsequently issued a statement saying he "deeply sorry and embarrassed" for using "inappropriate language."

"My overexuberance in support of a player has been misrepresented as a demonstration of a regressive attitude about an important social issue," the statement said, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale. 

In her report, Apstein noted none of the female reporters was discussing Osuna, who had allowed a game-tying home run in the ninth inning of Game 6 to DJ LeMahieu, or speaking with Taubman at the time he made his comments.

NPR's David Folkenflik spoke to three eyewitnesses in the clubhouse who said Taubman "appeared to be responding to the presence of a female reporter who was wearing a purple rubber bracelet to heighten awareness about domestic violence."

Taubman had reportedly been upset with the reporter in question for tweeting out the phone numbers to domestic violence hotlines after Osuna would appear in Astros games.

MLB suspended Osuna after he was charged with assault in May 2018 after allegedly assaulting Alejandra Roman Cota. Canadian authorities dropped the case after Roman Cota decided not to return to Canada in order to testify. Roman Cota, who has a three-year-old son with Osuna, had traveled back to Mexico shortly after the alleged assault.