Why was Nolan Arenado ejected? Cardinals star removed mid-inning vs Reds

St. Louis Cardinals star third baseman Nolan Arenado and manager Oliver Marmol found themselves at the center of controversy during the second game of the series against the Cincinnati Reds, resulting in their ejections.

Both Arenado and Marmol are known for their strong temperaments in the MLB, and this time their fiery personalities got the better of them, leading to a clash with the umpire.

What led to Nolan Arenado’s ejection?

The exact sequence of events that led to their ejections remains unclear. The incident occurred after the top of the third inning when Arenado hit a ground ball for a double play, ending the Reds' offensive threat. However, cameras captured Arenado saying something to the home plate umpire as he made his way back to the dugout.

Unable to tolerate the remarks, umpire Will Little promptly ejected Nolan Arenado, who was accompanied by his first base coach. Subsequently, Marmol approached the umpire to voice his complaints, only to receive the same outcome.

It is likely that Arenado was expressing his dissatisfaction with some of the umpire's calls during the game.

Umpire Will Little ejected both Nolan Arenado and Oliver Marmol.

Despite the ejections, the Cardinals managed to secure an 8-5 victory over the Reds, evening the series at one win apiece. The two teams are set to face each other for the third game of the series on Wednesday.

This is not the first time Nolan Arenado has been ejected from a game. It marked his eighth ejection overall but the first one this year. As for Marmol, this was his third ejection of the season and the sixth of his managerial career.

The ejections occurred due to frustration with the strike zone calls made by umpire Will Little. Earlier in the game, Little made a controversial strike call on a cutter pitch that appeared to be above the strike zone, followed by another strike call on a low, inside cutter.

Arenado's reaction, coupled with his previous dissatisfaction with a strike call on a checked swing in the previous game, subsequently led to his ejection.