ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb says he “regrets” posting a series of offensive tweets that surfaced during his near-no-hitter Sunday afternoon against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The tweets were sent in 2011 and 2012, when Newcomb was 18. One tweet included a racial epithet that was part of a rap lyric, and several others contained gay slurs.
The 25-year-old Newcomb spoke after he came within one strike of pitching a no-hitter in a 4-1 Atlanta victory. Newcomb said he saw mentions of the tweets on his phone and that it was his idea for a Braves official to bring reporters back into the locker room so he could address the subject.
“This is something that obviously can’t be happening. I feel bad about it. I don’t mean to offend anybody. I definitely regret it,” he said, according to USA Today.
Newcomb added that he “meant nothing by it. I didn’t mean to offend anybody and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Major League Baseball said it is aware of the situation and will have Newcomb take part in diversity training.
Earlier this month, Milwaukee Brewers reliever Josh Hader apologized after offensive tweets from his past came to light on the night he pitched in the All-Star Game. MLB said the 24-year-old Hader will be required to go through sensitivity training and participate in diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.