Major League Baseball backed down Monday after threatening several San Francisco Giants players over Bible verses marked on their Pride Night caps, promising not to fine or discipline them for expressing their Christian faith. In a letter to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred said the league was enforcing existing rules and blamed the San Francisco Giants for a controversy that quickly became a religious-liberty flashpoint. .@MLB Commissioner writes to me and admits they were wrong to threaten the Giants players over Bible verses and promises never to fine or discipline these players – or any players for their religious beliefs pic.twitter.com/rnPy2F7fyR — Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) June 22, 2026 “By warning the Giants players that they may not include Bible verses on their caps in the future, MLB was not discriminating or chastising those players based on their religious beliefs; rather, MLB was enforcing (with only an oral warning) a long-standing, collectively bargained rule that keeps uniforms clean and avoids controversy,” Manfred said.  Manfred explained that the MLB allows clubs to wear customized uniforms during just 12 league-sanctioned events each year, including Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day, Sept. 11, and Jackie Robinson Day. However, Manfred said individual clubs retain the flexibility to recognize other commemorative events throughout the season. He noted that in 2023, the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers successfully requested that their use of Pride emblems on uniforms and hats during Pride Night be grandfathered in under the league’s policy. “Los Angeles and San Francisco are homes to some of the largest LGBTQ communities in the United States, and those clubs desired to show their appreciation and support for those communities,” Manfred explained, acknowledging that not everyone is on board.  “We understand that some players or other on-field personnel have not been comfortable wearing the pride emblem on their uniform based on their religious beliefs,” he added.   During Pride Night, San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp was among them. He inscribed a passage from Genesis 9 on his cap in silver, placing it next to the rainbow logo. The verses describe God’s promise to Noah and all future generations that he would never again destroy the earth with a flood, with the rainbow serving as the sign of that covenant. An article in The Athletic sharply criticized the players’ decision, arguing that the Bible verses “missed the point” of Pride Night and helped fuel calls for MLB to crack down on Christian expressions during an event that was “supposed to be dedicated to support and belonging.” After the game, Roupp stood his ground, saying the Biblical gestures reflected his moral convictions.  “The rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant with us, and we as believers stand firm in that … There’s no hate at all,” he told reporters. “It’s just what I stand for and what I stand in, I believe in God.” Why was it important to write that verse tonight? ROUPP: “The rainbow is a symbol of God’s covenant to us, and us as believers stand firm in that… There’s no hate at all.” What would say if somebody considered that derogatory toward them as a community? ROUPP: “As a… https://t.co/jaEs3ikn4U pic.twitter.com/yYOaJ0UvE7 — KNBR (@KNBR) June 13, 2026 Shortly thereafter, MLB issued a verbal warning advising players not to include Bible verses on their uniforms in the future, triggering a wave of conservative backlash, including legal scrutiny from elected officials and state attorneys general. “The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening the rights of players with religious objections to serving as the League’s vehicle for pro-Pride messages,” Assistant Attorney General Dhillon wrote in a letter to Manfred. Swing and a miss! Major League Baseball encouraged players to wear “Black Lives Matter” on their uniforms but reportedly threatened Christians who write Bible verses on their hats. @USEEOC will investigate whether this amounts to religious discrimination. pic.twitter.com/pSNxhOfr7E — AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) June 18, 2026 In a response to Hawley’s scathing letter, Manfred appeared to deflect blame to the San Francisco Giants.   “Unfortunately, this year the Giants’ communication with players was inadequate and not clear. Some players apparently did not understand that they had the option to wear their normal uniform and elected to add messages to their hats bearing the pride logo as a result,” he explained. “After the game had concluded, my office issued a routine oral warning about the uniform policy violation – unfortunately, it was issued before we became aware of the Giants’ lapse in communication,”  In a win for the conservatives, the MLB vowed that no players would be punished for the Bible verses. “The players were neither fined nor disciplined, nor will they ever be,” Manfield said.