Oakland Athletics catcher Bruce Maxwell said in a statement on Tuesday that he will no longer kneel during the national anthem.
"The purpose of the gesture was to raise awareness about social issues affecting our country, and while I'm looking forward to a society that is inclusive, empathetic and a welcoming place, I will not continue the symbolic gesture of taking a knee during our National Anthem this season," his statement read in part.
Maxwell became the first Major League Baseball player to kneel during the anthem when he did so before a home game against the Texas Rangers on Sept. 23, 2017.
Maxwell, the son of a U.S. Army veteran, said after the game that he was kneeling "for the people that don't have a voice."
Maxwell was arrested in Arizona in late October after a food delivery person alleged he pointed a gun at her. The A's plan to start him at catcher despite the off-field issues.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
