The Pittsburgh Pirates have played 115 games so far this season, and their manager, Don Kelly, has been ejected six times already. A familiar theme for him? Sure, some would say. Struggling to keep his emotions in check, Kelly’s temper flared on Tuesday during an argument with the home plate umpire over the ABS Challenge System after the Pirates’ win in the series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. And what followed was, unsurprisingly, another ejection.

The Pirates were trailing 2-3 at the top of the fifth inning at American Family Field when Milwaukee starter Logan Henderson threw an 82-mph changeup on a 3-1 count, and Nick Gonzales checked his swing. Catcher William Contreras immediately tapped his helmet before the plate umpire could even make a call. Eventually, James Hoye called it a strike and dismissed the challenge. Don Kelly immediately stepped out of the dugout and had a chat with the home-plate umpire. The umpire explained to him what happened, but the Pirates manager wasn’t budging. On the very next pitch, Gonzales hit a fly ball that ended up in an out, and Kelly vented from the dugout. 

“That’s on you, James,” he said, pointing at the umpire, as seen in the two-minute clip shared by Jomboy Media on X, while the umpire repeatedly uttered, “I told you I made a mistake,” to Kelly.

Evidently, Hoye had had enough of Kelly’s temper when he came onto the field for a second time. The skipper wasn’t willing to accept the umpire’s apology either, but he ultimately had to leave the field after being ejected. Bench coach Kristopher Negrón then took over the managerial duties for the remainder of the game. 

Additionally, Kelly wasn’t arguing the pitch. He was simply unhappy with the umpire’s delayed ruling. Even if the challenge had stood, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome. The Brewers would have only lost their challenge.

“We are fighting for every single pitch, and that’s what I have talked to the guys about, and I understand that umpiring is a hard game and umpires are not gonna be perfect and not expecting perfection either, but if Gonzo wanted to challenge, he should have been able to,” the 46-year-old said after the game.

The miscommunication, or the delayed reaction, not only fueled Kelly’s frustration but also added another ejection to his ledger.

The latest ejection added to Don Kelly’s growing trend in 2026

This was the Pittsburgh manager’s sixth ejection of the season, the most by any MLB manager, or any individual for that matter, in 2026. To top it off, it was also his second ejection in three days.

The Pirates were up against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday at Great American Ball Park. There was a downpour, and a simple conversation about a rain delay took an unusual turn. The game was paused for 25 minutes while the crew fixed the infield dirt. But no actual rain delay was called. This made Kelly quite unhappy, as he feared injury to his players. 

“I just thought that we were unnecessarily putting the players at risk with what was going on out on the field,” Kelly said after the game. “I mean, the field took a lot [of water] yesterday, took a lot today, and I just was confused as to why we didn’t pull the tarp in that situation to try to keep the water off the field.”

Meanwhile, Pirates starter Mitch Keller couldn’t find a grip due to the rain and allowed seven runs. Despite the ground crew clearing the mess, players still slipped or stumbled. The discontent from the skipper was understandable, and as the argument continued during the fourth inning, Dan Bellino eventually threw him out. 

Kelly’s first ejection of the season was also during a game against the Reds on March 31. He then had two ejections arguing a check swing and a missed HBP call while playing against Toronto and Chicago, respectively. Ben May had thrown him out in late July after the two disagreed on two checked swing strike calls. 

While that’s all about the manager, the team hasn’t been in great shape either. The Pittsburgh Pirates are third in the NL Central with a 57-58 record. They have lost 10 of their last 15 games. It is easy to understand why Don Kelly loses his calm so quickly.