Responding to the controversial comments made by Detroit Tigers sportscaster Jack Morris during Tuesday’s broadcast, Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani on Thursday said he wasn’t offended by the remarks.

“I did see the footage and I heard it. Personally, I’m not offended and I didn’t take anything personally,” Ohtani said, according to The Athletic. “He is a Hall of Famer. He has a big influence in the baseball world. It’s kind of a tough spot.”  

Asked by play-by-play announcer Matt Shepard about how the Tigers should pitch to Ohtani in the sixth inning, Morris adopted an exaggerated East Asian accent while saying “be very, very careful.”

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch spoke out against Morris’ comments on Wednesday, calling them “unnecessary” and “unwarranted.” 

“There is no place in the game for it,” he said, via The Detroit News. “I love this sport. This sport is arguably the most diverse sport, certainly of our four major sports here in the U.S., and it should be celebrated … So we need to celebrate that and learn that comments like that are not only unnecessary but unwarranted.”

ALSO READ | MLB: Boston Red Sox on the mark as Baltimore Orioles lose 10th straight game

However, when Ohtani came to bat in the ninth, Morris issued a lengthy apology. “It’s been brought to my attention and I sincerely apologize if I offended anybody, especially in the Asian community, for what I said about pitching and being careful to Shohei Ohtani,” the 66-year-old began, before going on to talk about his respect for Ohtani’s talent, according to the Associated Press inputs.  

But Morris’ gesture caused an uproar on social media and the baseball fraternity lashed out at the Hall of Famer. 

Soon after Bally Sports Detroit announced the suspension Wednesday.

“Bally Sports Detroit is extremely disappointed with the remarks analyst Jack Morris made during last night’s Tigers game,” the network said in a statement. “Jack has been suspended indefinitely from Tigers broadcasts and will be undergoing bias training to educate him on the impact of his comments and how he can be a positive influence in a diverse community.