Zach Elfin was asked to remove a ring from his glove hand during the Tampa Bay Rays' 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.

Eflin said other umpire crews had let him wear the ring, but this one told him he'd be ejected if it wasn't removed.

"This is the first crew that's really given me trouble about taking the ring off," Eflin said after he hurled seven shutout innings.

Eflin got married in 2020 and has been wearing the ring since the start of the 2021 season. He put the ring in his pocket at first and later on his necklace.

He emphasized that most umpiring crews are "cool" with him leaving his ring on, but Thursday's crew instructed him and Kevin Cash before the start of the second inning that he would have to remove the ring on his glove hand.

"This umpire crew was kind of a little different. They seemed a little on edge," Eflin said. "It's part of it. I said, 'If you're going to eject me out of the game then I'll take it off,' and that's what they ended up coming out and telling me on the mound."