Former MLB pitcher Kyle Farnsworth bashed for subtweet criticizing player resting for 'general soreness'

Former pitcher Kyle Farnsworth subtweeted an MLB player, criticizing him over a decision to rest because of "general soreness."

After that, pretty much everyone else turned on Farnsworth.

"So I just saw that a MLB player didn’t play today because of general soreness," Farnsworth posted from his verified Twitter account. "Are you kidding me. It’s September. Everyone is sore. If you can’t play through soreness, you shouldn’t be playing the sport. SMH!"

SMH is the acronym for the phrase "shaking my head," used to express disappointment.

Though Farnsworth didn't mention a player by name, many pointed out that it was likely Baltimore Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini, who returned to the diamond in 2021 after sitting out all of last season as he battled colon cancer, but missed Monday night's 3-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

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Before the game, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Mancini would miss the game because of "general soreness."

Many people, including some fellow MLB players, came to Mancini's defense in light of Farnsworth's tweet.

"My man @TreyMancini is a living legend," Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman wrote on Twitter Tuesday morning. "A true role model to the youth who has battled an incredible amount of adversity. Past players with poo-poo careers/opinions need to keep it down. He’s a cancer survivor who beat the odds and is a blessing to society. Keep inspiring Trey!"

Farnsworth issued a clarification of his tweet on Tuesday, saying it wasn't directed at Mancini.

"His name was not mentioned in it," Farnsworth tweeted. "Cancer was not mentioned in it. It was directed to towards players who can’t play through soreness. There may be a fan that comes to see you play that day. And you arent."

Farnsworth, 45, played 16 seasons in the MLB for nine different teams and finished with a career ERA of 4.26.

Mancini, 29, has played in 128 games this year and is hitting .262 with 21 home runs and 66 RBI.