Angels pitcher Keynan Middleton took a knee and raised his right fist in the air during the national anthem before the team’s exhibition game Monday night against the Padres at Petco Park in San Diego, to protest racial injustice in the United States.
“Racism is something I’ve dealt with my entire life. As a Black man in this country it is my obligation to want to better the future for generations to come,” Middleton said in a tweet on Tuesday morning. “Over the past few months I’ve been out in the community taking part in peaceful protest and having the difficult conversations that are needed for change.