Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has launched an investigation into Major League Baseball over allegations that the league selectively enforced its uniform policies against Christian players who displayed Bible verses during a Pride Night event.
Uthmeier announced Friday that his office has issued both a formal investigative letter and a subpoena to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.
The attorney general said the investigation will examine whether the league engaged in unlawful religious discrimination by enforcing its uniform policies differently based on the content of players’ messages.
Major League Baseball claims it does not tolerate discrimination based on religion, yet its actions tell a different story,” Uthmeier said in a statement
“If MLB applauds ideological messages it prefers while reprimanding expressions of Christian faith, that is not neutral rule enforcement—it is religious discrimination that cannot stand in Florida,” he added.
The controversy began after Giants pitcher Landen Roupp displayed “Gen 9:12-16” on his cap during Pride Night.
The biblical passage references God’s covenant with humanity and the rainbow as a sign of that covenant
Relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker also displayed Bible verses on their Pride Night caps.
According to Uthmeier, MLB issued warnings to the players for violating league rules regarding alterations to uniforms and equipment.
The attorney general argued that the league’s enforcement appears inconsistent with how it has handled other forms of player expression in recent years
In a letter to MLB, Uthmeier pointed to several examples where players were permitted to display personal or political messages without facing discipline.
He cited a 2019 incident involving a Cincinnati Reds player who wrote a tribute to victims of a nearby mass shooting on his cap.
He also referenced MLB’s decision in 2020 to allow players to wear Black Lives Matter patches and display social justice messages on uniforms and equipment
The attorney general further noted that Black Lives Matter slogans were displayed on pitchers’ mounds and that players have previously been allowed to write messages on caps, cleats and bat knobs without apparent discipline.
“MLB appears to applaud — even change its rules for — the ideological beliefs it prefers, but targets players who express religious views the League doesn’t like,” Uthmeier wrote.
MLB has maintained that the warnings issued to the Giants pitchers were routine and unrelated to the content of the Bible verses
League officials reportedly argued that uniform rules prohibit unauthorized writing on official equipment regardless of the message being conveyed.
Uthmeier disputed that explanation.
Anyone who watches baseball knows these warnings are anything but routine,” he said
The investigation is being conducted under both the Florida Civil Rights Act and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
As part of the subpoena, MLB has been ordered to produce extensive records by July 23.
The requested materials include uniform policies, enforcement records, internal communications regarding the June 2026 warnings and documentation related to league policies governing religious, political and social expression
The subpoena also seeks information regarding Pride Night policies and whether any players have faced consequences for declining to participate in themed events.
Florida’s investigation comes as the federal government is also scrutinizing the controversy.
The Department of Justice recently referred the matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for review
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon argued that federal law requires employers to reasonably accommodate religious expression in the workplace.
“The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening the rights of players with religious objections to serving as the League’s vehicle for pro-Pride messages,” Dhillon wrote.
She added that the Trump administration remains committed to combating religious discrimination, Breitbart News reported
The San Francisco Giants previously defended their support for Pride Night while acknowledging the controversy surrounding some players’ decisions.
