ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has formally issued subpoenas to Major League Baseball leaders as part of his inquiry into whether the league is engaging in religious discrimination.
The inquiry stems from an incident where three San Francisco Giants pitchers wrote Bible verses over their rainbow-colored hats on Pride Night.
Major League Baseball issued the players a formal warning, saying it violates MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, which says that “no alterations, writing or illustrations, other than as authorized herein, are to be made to any part of the uniform.”
[WATCH: Florida AG takes aim at Major League Baseball over cap controversy]
In a letter to MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred, Jr., Uthmeier questions whether the league applies this rule evenly in all cases.
“It appears that MLB has a history of selectively enforcing its rules; players who promote secular messages get a pass, while players who promote religious messages get a reprimand,” Uthmeier wrote. “If this pattern or practice of religious discrimination is true, then it could amount to a de facto League policy, which would violate Florida law.”
Uthmeier subpoenaed Manfred and MLB executive vice president Lara Pitaro Wisch for documents related to the case.
News 6 talked to an Orlando-based attorney who specializes in the First Amendment, who cast doubt on any such case proving to be successful.
“I think it’s a political position that he wants to get out,” said Howard Marks, an attorney with Burr & Forman. “But I’m not sure there’s much of a legal First Amendment case that could be brought by him.”
MLB execs had no issue with acts of protest while cities were burned down by left-wing mobs in 2020. In fact, MLB changed the rules to allow more left-wing messaging!
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) June 16, 2026
Meanwhile, Christians are singled out and targeted for taking part in a religious protest. Unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/F90BUwujdC
News 6 reached out to Uthmeier’s office to inquire about the kind of action his office may take. A response has not yet been returned.
A spokesperson with First Liberty Institute, a conservative Christian legal organization, echoed Uthmeier’s position. Cliff Martin, senior counsel at the organization, sent the following statement to News 6:
“Coercing MLB players to wear symbols that violate their religious beliefs is discriminatory. Under the law, employers cannot discriminate against religious employees and must grant religious accommodations, with limited exceptions. If the MLB has allowed players to write messages on their uniforms in the past, it would be potentially unlawful to refuse to allow employees of faith to do so now. The MLB should not coerce its players to wear symbols that violate their religious beliefs.”