Former pitcher Kyle Farnsworth says he was not criticizing cancer survivor Trey Mancini

Former MLB pitcher Kyle Farnsworth was torn apart on social media Monday for a tweet he sent that seemed to be clearly directed at Trey Mancini. Of course, Farnsworth is now trying to say he was not talking about the Baltimore Orioles star.

Farnsworth, who pitched 16 seasons in MLB, expressed his disbelief to learn a player had taken the day off due to “general soreness.”

“So I just saw that a MLB player didn’t play today because of general soreness. Are you kidding me,” Farnsworth wrote. “It’s September. Everyone is sore. If you can’t play through soreness, you shouldn’t be playing the sport. SMH!”

Farnsworth was almost certainly talking about Mancini. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Mancini would not be available for Monday’s game against the Kansas City Royals because he was experiencing soreness in his calf from being hit by a pitch the day before. Mancini, of course, is playing this season despite undergoing surgery last year to remove a malignant tumor from his colon.

The backlash was predictable and well-deserved. On Tuesday, Farnsworth tried to say he was making a general observation and not directing his comments toward Mancini.