Justin Verlander criticized for using wife Kate Upton’s name on Zoom

Justin Verlander found himself in the hot seat after using his wife Kate Upton‘s Zoom account for a recent press conference.

During a virtual press event on Monday, January 13, an NBC Sports reporter named Taylor Wirth had a heated moment on the mic involving Verlander, 41 — but the MLB player didn’t care.

As president of operations for the San Francisco Giants Buster Posey was speaking to reporters, Wirth accidentally interrupted him by saying, “Look at the name Justin!”

Wirth didn’t seem to know he wasn’t on mute when he pointed out that Verlander’s nickname on Zoom was his wife’s name.

After the Giants’ vice president of media relations Matt Chisholm reminded reporters to remain silent unless they asked a question, Verlander laughed at his own mishap.

“I’ll change it, okay?” I’m going to change it,” Verlander joked, referring to his Zoom name.

The pitcher kept his promise by changing his nickname to “JUSTIN VERLANDER (not Kate)” for the rest of the press conference.

Wirth, meanwhile, made fun of his big mic mistake by reposting a clip from Zoom via X. He then shared a meme of a student pointing at himself while holding a beer, confirming that it was he who had called Verlander.

Verlander met Upton, 32, in 2012 while filming a commercial for the Major League Baseball 2K12 video game. They went public with their romance in January 2013. After briefly splitting later that year, they reunited in January 2014.

After the former Houston Astros pitcher won the 2017 World Series with his team, he and Upton flew to Italy to get married.

The couple celebrated their first anniversary in November 2018, just days before welcoming their daughter, Genevieve. The following year, Verlander reflected on the last decade and all the changes in his life.

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“It’s been such an incredible decade! Meeting my best friend, getting married and starting a family was the most incredible gift ever!!! Nothing tops that,” he wrote via Instagram in December 2019. “On the field… winning a championship, throwing a few hits and winning a few awards along the way has been an incredible journey. Friendships that have developed or formed over the past decade will continue for decades to come. Truly blessed 🙏🏻🙏🏻. Now let’s bring on the next decade! »

Since entering the 2020s, Verlander’s baseball trajectory has changed more than once. In December 2022, he said goodbye to the Astros after six years with the ball club. The same month, he confirmed that he was joining the New York Mets for the 2023 season, but by August of the same year, he was back with the Astros.

Earlier this month, Verlander entered another new phase of his MLB career as a pitcher for the Giants. He signed a one-year contract with the team on January 11 for $15 million.