Instagram user diva_legacy must feel flattered: Red Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval liked her photos so much he couldn't wait until after Wednesday's game to click. He was benched yesterday for violating team and MLB rules by using his phone during the 5-2 loss to Atlanta, ESPN reports. Sandoval says he used his phone in the seventh inning after returning to the clubhouse to use the bathroom and admits he screwed up.
Sandoval says this is the first time he has ever used his phone during a game. "I'm a human being, I made a mistake, so I apologize to my teammates, to the team, to the organization," he says. He hasn't been fined by the team, but he may face a fine from MLB, which bans players from using electronics within 30 minutes of the start of a game, reports the Boston Globe, which notes that the incident might have been shrugged off if the Red Sox "were nine games ahead in the division instead of nine games behind." (More Pablo Sandoval stories.)