Tanner Bibee and Stephen Vogt Address Dugout Incident During Guardians’ Loss to Rays
Tensions are running high for the Cleveland Guardians, who have now dropped six consecutive games and nine of their last ten. Just a week ago, they were firmly in the playoff race, but now find themselves below .500. 
Their most recent setback came on Monday, a 9-0 drubbing by the Tampa Bay Rays, in which Cleveland’s offense was silenced, recording just two hits over the entire game. The pitching staff also struggled, contributing to the lopsided defeat.
However, the main talking point from the game came between the fourth and fifth innings when an incident unfolded in the dugout.
After the Rays scored four runs, pitcher Tanner Bibee entered the dugout visibly frustrated and began loudly expressing his emotions, trying, as he later explained, to “get some energy into the dugout.” But Cleveland’s manager, Stephen Vogt, felt the timing wasn’t right and didn’t think Bibee’s outburst was the appropriate response.
“Emotions are running high for everyone. Tanner’s one of the most competitive, fiery players I’ve been around. He came in trying to pump the team up, but I told him, ‘Not now, take it downstairs,'” Vogt said after the game. “We’ve talked, and we’re fine. It’s just one of those fiery moments that happen during a long season. Tanner’s been, and will continue to be, one of our best. His competitive fire is what drives him, and we understand that.”
Bibee, clearly emotional in the locker room after the game, acknowledged he had misjudged the situation. “It was probably not the right way to do it at that time, but [Vogt’s] message was just, ‘Not like that or not in that moment,’ and he’s completely right,” he admitted.
Bibee’s 2025 season mirrors the Guardians’ overall struggles—so close to success yet often seeing things spiral out of control unexpectedly.
With over a month left in the season, Bibee remains hopeful for a turnaround. “I know fundamentally we’re a good baseball team,” he said, expressing belief that the Guardians still have time to prove it.
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