Astros' Taylor Trammell Gets Bat Confiscated After Yankees Asked Umps To Check It

There was another strange event that took place between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees.

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The recent history between the Houston Astros and New York Yankees has not been without drama.

Whether it's postseason theatrics or moments in a heated rivalry that has seen the mighty Yankees come up short countless times to the upstart Astros, it feels like there's always something that happens when the two sides step on the field.

That continued on Thursday. With New York up 8-3 in the bottom of the ninth inning, Victor Caratini hit a pinch-hit single that was followed by a double off the wall from Taylor Trammell. But with runners on second and third with Jeremy Pena coming up to bat, Yankees manager Aaron Boone stepped out of the dugout and asked crew chief Adrian Johnson to examine the bat that Trammell had just used.

There was some sort of marking on Taylor Trammell’s bat and it was confiscated after he doubled in the ninth inning pic.twitter.com/76sk2iLT1s

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 5, 2025

After a lengthy discussion that involved the three other umpires on the field and a conversation with the replay office in New York, Johnson eventually handed the bat to an authenticator for further evaluation by the league office.

According to Trammell -- who was allowed to stay in the game -- his bat is being looked at because he was told it was "shaved down too much."

"To be honest, I have no idea how you shave down a bat. I don't know what it is," Trammell said, per The Athletic (subscription required). "My biggest problem is, I feel kind of defensive right now, more so (it is) testing my character of, like, I'm going to willingly do that. I'm kind of lost on that thing. I think if anybody knows me, knows that I'm never going to cheat any turns or anything like that. I have no idea. That's baffling to me that it was even checked."

Yankees Say League Office Told Them Trammell's Bat Looked Illegal

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What makes things even more interesting is that the Yankees have been looking into Trammell's bat well before he had his plate appearance in the ninth inning on Thursday, with The Athletic also adding that Boone had been in communication with the league office about it.

New York reportedly noticed "discolorations on the label," which is why they alerted the league office. And according to The Athletic, "the league told him 'that looks like an illegal bat.'"

Boone gave some more insight into the situation from the Yankees' point of view, stating, "I don't know if it was just natural. I don't know. I don't want to accuse Taylor ... We noticed it, though, on video while we were here, and we actually mentioned it to the league, and they said, 'No, that looks like an illegal bat.' That was it."

Taylor Trammell Says He's Been Using That Bat for a While

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It should be pointed out that if the league office finds that Trammell's bat was not up to standard, that doesn't mean Trammell purposefully altered his bat since constant usage can cause the wood to get worn down and change shape.

That could be the case here. Trammell gave some background on that exact bat and how much he's used it, stating it's one that has been in the rotation with him in the minors and during batting practice.

"I've had that bat for probably about, since I’ve been here. I've had it for a long time. Usually take BP with it. Use it in games, (used) it in (Triple-A Sugar Land), use it every time. The only thing, I just don't have a gloss finish on my bat. It's matte. Paint wears down. That's what happens," he said.

His manager backed that claim, with Joe Espada stating, "He uses that bat all the time."

Taylor Trammell Has History With Yankees

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Houston acquired the 27-year-old outfielder from New York this past offseason in exchange for cash.
Selected with the 35th overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Cincinnati Reds, he has not lived up to that billing during his career and has become a journeyman.

Trammell played in five games with the Yankees last year after they claimed him off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers. Primarily used as a defensive replacement, he went 1-for-2 in his limited offensive opportunities before he was outrighted to their Triple-A affiliate for the rest of the season.

While his time with New York's big league club was short, he said he was fond of Boone, stating ,"My time over there, I had a lot of respect for Boonie. He was straight up with me."

It will be interesting to see what comes out of this entire situation. Trammell is a bit perplexed by the whole thing, and since he is adamant that he didn't purposefully alter his bat in any way, it's easy to understand why.