Rays shortstop Taylor Walls was ejected during the ninth inning of Sunday’s 1-0 loss to the Astros for apparently tapping his helmet. The act was a nod to baseball’s incoming Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, which is expected to be implemented in 2027.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls was ejected from the game on June 1, 2025 after an umpire saw him tap on his helmet in the ninth inning.

Taylor Walls talks about his sacrifice bunt in the 4th inning, the confidence in himself on defense and more following the 8-4 win over the Mets

Tampa Bay Rays infielder Taylor Walls was ejected in the ninth inning of a 1-0 loss to Houston and had to be restrained during a heated argument.

Tampa Bay’s 17-6 record since May 20 is the best in baseball, and the Rays showed a lot of the reasons why Saturday.

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls was livid Sunday afternoon at Daikin Park. Walls was thrown out of the Rays’ 1-0 loss to the Houston Astros after he got into it with home plate umpire Nick Lentz over what he thought was a missed call. Walls then tapped the top of his helmet, which prompted Lentz to throw him out of the game.

The Tampa Bay Rays offense didn't produce any highlights against the Houston Astros in a 1-0 loss Sunday afternoon at Minute Maid Park, but Rays shortstop Taylor Walls produced a clip that will be making the rounds on social media for quite a while.

During spring training, MLB made the decision to test an automated strike zone (ABS) with a ball-strike challenge system for a majority of Grapefruit and Cactus League games. And to signal a challenge, a batter would tap on his helmet after a pitch. Simple enough.

Walls will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Red Sox. Walls appears to have taken back primary duties at shortstop away from Jose Caballero, who is on the bench against a righty for the second time in three contests and who has also made two of his previous three starts in the outfield.

Taylor Walls lays down a bunt and reaches first on an error from Tylor Megill, while Jake Mangum scores to overtake a 3-2 lead for the Rays in the 4th inning