The Chicago White Sox dropped their fifth straight home game Monday night, but the biggest fireworks came from Edgar Quero, and not from his bat. The rookie designated hitter was ejected in the sixth inning after arguing a questionable strike call during a blowout loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Guaranteed Rate Field.

It marked the first ejection of Quero’s young career and capped off an emotional moment in a tough night for Chicago. After striking out looking on a hanging changeup called on the upper-outside corner, he briefly exchanged words with home plate umpire Ron Kulpa as he headed toward the dugout. Kulpa didn’t hesitate, immediately tossing the 22-year-old from the game.

MLB.com’s Scott Merkin took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to report that the rookie designated hitter was tossed in the bottom of the sixth inning after disputing the strike zone.

“Edgar Quero just was ejected for arguing balls and strikes.”

The call came with the White Sox trailing 8-0, and the pitch location, shown in strike zone graphics, appeared to miss the zone. That, coupled with a similar call earlier in the game against Miguel Vargas, seemed to push Quero over the edge. The incident reflects a broader trend of frustration in what has been a rough season on the South Side.

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Quero had gone 1-for-3 with a double before his ejection. It was his first extra-base hit since May 26th and his first hit of any kind since the previous Tuesday. Despite the early exit, it was a small step forward offensively for a rookie catcher still finding his rhythm in the majors.

The Cuban-born prospect entered the season ranked No. 3 in the White Sox farm system and was called up in April after opening the year at Triple-A Charlotte. Through 50 games, he’s batting .269 with 42 hits, 17 RBIs, and a .647 OPS. Though Quero played DH Monday night, his primary position is behind the plate.

Kulpa’s strike zone has drawn scrutiny before, and Monday’s game didn’t help his reputation. Alongside crew members Cory Blaser, Derek Thomas, and Alex Tosi, Kulpa’s calls stirred social media reactions from fans calling for automated zones.

The rookie catcher's ejection came in the middle of a one-sided contest. Arizona ultimately cruised to a 10-0 victory, improving to 40-38 on the season, while Chicago dropped to 25-54. It was the opener of a three-game set on the South Side, and the Diamondbacks lived up to their billing as favorites.

In a season short on silver linings, Quero’s fire won’t shift the standings but it sent a clear message that he’s not backing down from the challenge of Major League Baseball.