White Sox' Davis Martin Ejected After Hit-By-Pitch, But Should He Have Been?

The Chicago White Sox lost Davis Martin in the third inning after two balls were sent toward the head of Sal Stewart.

May 22, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin (65) is lifted during the sixth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tempers flared during the third inning of the Chicago White Sox rubber match with the Cincinnati Reds.

With the Reds' Sal Stewart up at the plate to lead off the inning, starting pitcher Davis Martin first went up in the count thanks to an overturned strike call. His next pitch then sailed well over the head of Stewart, as it looked like the ball essentially slipped completely out of Martin's hand.

What followed was a throw that would end Martin's day early. This ball traveled right toward Stewart's head, hitting the side of his helmet, which flew off. The Reds' first baseman pointed his bat at Martin and had something to say. Martin proceeded to put out his hand and seemingly insist that it wasn't intentional. The umpire got in front of Stewart to push him away.

The benches cleared slowly, only for everyone to head back to their spots soon after. Stewart would take first base while Martin would step back onto the mound. It appeared that the game would resume as normal, but the umps convened and determined otherwise.

Martin was ejected. The veteran looked both confused and upset with the decision, as did manager Will Venable. The White Sox would proceed to put Erick Fedde into the game to continue the 4-3 game, which Chicago led.

Davis Martin has been ejected from today's game vs. the Cincinnati Reds.

Erick Fedde is now in the game. pic.twitter.com/O3PKtnlCdK

— White Sox on CHSN (@CHSN_WhiteSox) August 13, 2026

Davis Martin's Confusing White Sox Ejection

Aug 4, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Davis Martin (65) throws a pitch against the Boston Red Sox in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Yes, Davis Martin sent two wild pitches toward Sal Stewart in a row. It's not a good look for any pitcher, especially when considering that Stewart hit a solo shot off Martin in the first inning. The Reds' home run leader has every reason to be frustrated.

At the same time, Martin didn't come off as someone who was doing it on purpose. He immediately appeared apologetic and was already off to a pretty rough start on the day. Not to mention, the last several weeks have been a step backward for him after a scalding hot start to the season. He simply hasn't had the same control.

Couldn't the officiating crew also have handed out a warning? No one would have blamed them for doing just that. It's the natural next step when something like this occurs. The only real explanation for throwing him out is assuming that Martin did have malicious intent, which simply hasn't coincided with his character over his four-year-long career.

Even the broadcast crew was dumbfounded by the decision to kick Martin out. Again, you want to protect players and avoid any potential for tempers flaring. But, heck, doesn't handing Martin an unwarranted boot only stir up more frustration?

Anyhow, it will be very interesting to hear what the crew has to say in the pool report following the game. If one thing is for sure, this will make life harder for Will Venable, who is trying to manage a stretch of 16-consecutive games. He would have loved to see Martin go deep into this one and help save his bullpen.