Manfred: “It was an individual picking a particular way to express himself. And I don’t think you need to make more out of that than that."

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred downplayed a reported tense meeting with the Philadelphia Phillies and specifically superstar Bryce Harper while speaking with reporters on Friday in Chicago, where he was in town to announce that the 2027 MLB All-Star Game will take place in Wrigley Field.

An altercation between MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper made headlines in July, with the two-time MVP reportedly standing “nose to nose” with the commissioner and telling him he could “get the [expletive] out of our clubhouse” if he was going to talk about implementing a salary cap (per ESPN’s Jeff Passan).