MLB umpire faces criticism after getting in face of Astros' Jeremy Peña

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An on-field dispute between an MLB player and an umpire is not uncommon.

But Tuesday's occurrence between Houston Astros star shortstop Jeremy Peña and home plate umpire Jerry Layne was noteworthy due to the egregious nature of a particular strike call.

During Peña's at-bat in the bottom of the third inning, Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan threw a pitch that appeared to be well outside the designated strike zone.

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Jeremy Peña of the Astros scores against the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park on May 30, 2023, in Houston, Texas. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

However, Layne believed the pitch was inside the zone and called a strike – much to Peña's displeasure. 

Surprisingly, the umpire stepped into the batter's box and got into Peña's face almost immediately upon the shortstop voicing his objection to the call.

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The Astros players and coaches in the dugout seemed upset by the umpire's actions. Astros hitting coach Aex Cintron and some players were seen making gestures and yelling at Layne from the dugout. 

Cintron was then ejected from the game.

Jeremy Peña of the Astros bats against the Minnesota Twins at Minute Maid Park on May 30, 2023, in Houston. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Some MLB fans took to Twitter to voice their displeasure.

"It was the incorrect call. Jeremy Peña didn’t show boat about it Jerry Layne literally gets in his face. Don’t know what was said, but I feel like this was a bit much," a Twitter user wrote.

Another fan who watched the play asked if umpires were