A baseball reporter was caught off guard by his mute button in an awkward moment on a Zoom call with new San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander.
The 41-year-old right-hander joined San Francisco in free agency and was introduced to the Giants media on Monday to discuss the latest chapter of his career.
But before things got moving, a reporter who thought he was silent noticed that Verlander's name on Zoom was that of his wife, Hollwood actress Kate Upton.
“Look at Justin's name,” the reporter can be heard exclaiming excitedly as Buster Posey, the Giants' president of baseball operations, spoke.
A Giants media official quickly reminded people to mute the microphone before Verlander intervened, seeing the funny side.
“I'll change it, okay,” he said, jokingly throwing up his hands. 'I'll change it.'
New San Francisco Giants pitcher Justin Verlander photographed with his wife Kate Upton
Verlander's wife inadvertently became the topic of conversation at his first Giants press conference.
The reporter in question was Taylor Wirth, who works for NBC. He also laughed and jokingly called himself “a bum” in response to one of the viral tweets about the incident.
The pitcher has been married to Upton since 2017; They were married in Tuscany, Italy, just two days after Verlander won the World Series with the Houston Astros.
Verlander signed a one-year contract with the Giants for the 2025 season, the fourth team of his distinguished career.
'I think you can see that the passion is still there. The fire is still burning,” he said, once he started talking about baseball instead of his Zoom name on Monday.
He turns 42 next month, but dwells on the shoulder and neck issues that derailed his 2024 season with the Astros.
“I really think last year's struggles have the potential to send me down the path I want to go to finish my career and be able to play until I'm 45 or older,” he said.
'I have achieved quite a bit in my career. “I wouldn’t come back if I didn’t think I could be great.”