Abner Uribe, reliever for the Milwaukee Brewers, made a crotch chop gesture toward the St. Louis Cardinals dugout after striking out Alec Burleson in the eighth inning of a 6-0 Brewers win on August 16, 2026 [1, 2]. Brewers manager Pat Murphy called Uribe's gesture "unacceptable" and said he was embarrassed by the behavior. "That's unacceptable. It's just unacceptable. I don't know what got over him," Murphy said. "He's been an emotional guy. But that kind of thing – that's just not how we do things, and I was embarrassed by it. Why are we doing it in a 6-0 game? What are we doing there?" [1]
Following the incident, Uribe apologized publicly through a translator to the Brewers organization, teammates, manager, and team bosses, acknowledging the gesture was unacceptable [1, 2]. He also defended himself by accusing Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol of signaling an intent to target Brewers players. "I don't think it's unprofessional for their manager to be making signs towards our dugout saying that he's going to be hitting guys," Uribe said. He referenced a heated practice session earlier that day, adding, "There was an event that occurred during the practice today, too, and I don't think that was right. So, I have my teammates' back always." [1]
Tensions appeared to escalate during that practice when Uribe threw a fastball near Cardinals player Iván Herrera's head. Herrera said Uribe was throwing 2-0 sinkers near his head and described it as "a little uncomfortable there." Herrera called Uribe's gesture disrespectful to the entire team. "I wasn't disrespectful, (because) all I said, 'Keep it down.' He's throwing 2-0 sinkers to my head... And then you go and do that to the entire team? That's disrespectful," Herrera said [1].
Uribe entered the game with a higher-than-usual earned run average of 4.42 over 18.1 innings this season, compared to his career ERA of 2.60 prior to 2026 [2]. Social media reaction to Uribe’s gesture was mixed, with some Brewers fans expressing embarrassment while others embraced the controversy [2].
Brewers manager Pat Murphy reiterated his disapproval postgame, stating, "I don’t know what got over him. I mean, he’s an emotional guy, but that kind of thing, that’s just not how we do things. I was embarrassed by it... It’s a 6-0 game. What are we doing there?" [2]
The Brewers are set to continue their schedule with the next game following the incident, while the club and Uribe likely face further team discussions addressing the situation.
