Braves broadcaster confronted by Nats GM after questioning Soto's age

Atlanta Braves broadcaster Joe Simpson found himself on the hot seat Tuesday following a comment regarding the age of Washington Nationals rookie phenom Juan Soto.

Simpson created a stir during the first game broadcast of a doubleheader between the Braves and Nationals when he questioned the age of the 19-year-old Soto, who was born Oct. 25, 1998 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

"If he’s 19, he has certainly got his man growth," Simpson said during the broadcast.

After learning of the remarks, Nationals GM Mike Rizzo confronted Simpson between games, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

"I had a definite reaction," Rizzo told Rosenthal. "I handled it face to face, privately with him. I believe he understood my stance on his comments."

Soto's age had never been questioned before Simpson's comment, which he later apologized for during the second game of the doubleheader.

"If you were with us in Game 1, you might have heard me make a comment off the top of my head about if he’s 19," Simpson said on the broadcast, according to Rosenthal. "Well, he is. He’s bonafide 19. And he is a full-grown man. He is strong. And he is one heck of a player. You might as well just write his name in on the Rookie of the Year award right now."

This isn't the first time Simpson has come under fire this season. During a game on July 28, he criticized the batting practice attire of the Dodgers on air, calling the T-shirts and shorts they were wearing that day "very unprofessional" and an "embarrassment."

It turns out the shirts Utley and his teammates were wearing were in support of The Jason Motte Foundation: Let's Strike Out Cancer.

Simpson later apologized to Utley, while expressing remorse for what he said.