Angels reliever Keynan Middleton kneeled and raised his right fist during the national anthem before Monday’s exhibition game against the Padres at Petco Park.
Middleton was the lone Angels player to kneel during the national anthem. Middleton told the club he was going to kneel via a team-wide Zoom call, and Angels manager Joe Maddon said Middleton had the full support of his teammates and the organization.
“The thing I have encouraged all these guys to do is to create their own truth, and that's exactly what I do like,” Maddon said. “What's in your heart. How you can change things. He’s a wonderful young man.”
Middleton has been active on social media in his support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Maddon doesn’t know if Middleton plans to kneel before every game or if it was a one-time demonstration but said Middleton is expected to release a statement via social media.
“I'm very proud that he stood up for his beliefs,” Maddon said. “It's not easy to do that. A young man like that. He's the only one out here doing that.”
Several Giants players and coaches, including manager Gabe Kapler, first-base coach Antoan Richardson and outfielders Jaylin Davis, Mike Yastrzemski and Austin Slater, kneeled before Monday's game against the A's.