Why was Jesse Winker ejected? Brewers outfielder's removal baffles baseball fans

Bizzare umpire calls continue to plague the MLB, and a recent incident saw Jesse Winker of the Milwaukee Brewers ejected from a game.

This came against the Tampa Bay Rays after he argued an automatic strike call placed on the batter before his at-bat.

The incident occurred in the top of the eighth with Jesse Winker lining up to face the Rays' Ryan Thompson. As he is about to face the reliever, home plate umpire Adam Hamari called an automatic strike on the batter for a pitch clock, deeming Winker too slow to get into the batter's box.

Winker had already taken brisk steps into the box before the violation was awarded. The reason for the clock violation seemed baffling, as Thompson wasn't even on the mound or ready to deliver the pitch while Winker was getting ready. The Rays pitcher was even holding his hat in one hand.

With the automatic strike called on him, Winker and his manager Craig Counsell appealed against the decision to no avail. The 29-year-old began his at-bat with a 0-1 count. He fouled the next ball before two strikes ended his effort there.

Quite frustrated with the situation, the Brewers batter threw some verbal comments at Hamari, who then proceeded to eject him from the game. Winker wasn't the only one frustrated with the series of events, and fans were vocal on social media.

Tough outing for Jesse Winker and the Brewers

Jesse Winker was the designated hitter for Milwaukee and had a forgetful day. Before his ejection, he had four at-bats, unable to convert in any of them, and was struck out twice.

The Brewers lost the game 8-4 to Tampa Bay and have a 4-6 record in the last ten games. They currently sit in second place in the NL West with the same record as the Pittsburgh Pirates.

All is definitely still to play for the Brewers, who will try to put this one behind them quickly.