Twins’ Max Kepler Apologizes For Wearing ‘Blue Lives Matter’ Mask

Max Kepler, the Minnesota Twins player, was raised in Germany for the greater portion of his young life. In Germany police officers wear green, unlike in the United States where they wear blue. When Keple posted a picture of himself wearing a ‘Blue Lives Matter’ mask, supporting the pro-police movement, he was not aware of how controversial it is. 

Kepler said in the response to the backlash he received for wearing the mask that he did not know what the blue stood for and was simply wearing it because of the coronavirus pandemic. In a post on his Instagram story, Kepler apologized. “I had no idea that mask had any underlying inferences — I simply thought it looked good. … I take complete responsibility for not knowing what I was wearing.”

Kepler’s post comes on the heels of Minneapolis police officers killing an unarmed black man, George Floyd, on Monday. 

Kepler’s team, the Twins, took to Twitter to share their sentiments regarding Floyd’s death, saying that they will continue to try and establish “one, all-inclusive Twins Territory, where everyone is protected, safe and welcome.”

Kepler has been playing for the Twins full-time since 2016.