A bald eagle flew onto the field and landed on Seattle Mariners pitcher James Paxton during the national anthem Thursday.
Paxton was in the outfield with his cap over his heart when the eagle, which was part of the pregame ceremony, flew around Paxton a couple of times then landed on his upper back.
Paxton seemed to stay calm, and the eagle eventually landed on the ground and was picked up by its handler. But the eagle's talons appeared to tear a chunk out of Paxton's jersey.
The eagle has landed...on @James_Paxton. @kare11 #mntwins #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/ZWAtl2iLvr
— Brandon McCauley (@bpmccauley) April 5, 2018
Maybe the eagle thought Paxton was a tree. The Canadian's nickname is the Big Maple.
Paxton started the game for Seattle.
