After intense anticipation surrounding when Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani would hit his 50th home run, the ball associated with this milestone has ignited controversy.

Ohtani achieved this milestone on September 19 against the Miami Marlins, where he notched three home runs, 10 RBIs, and two stolen bases.

The home run ball ended up in the crowd, sparking a chaotic scramble among fans to retrieve it.

The ball is currently up for auction; however, 18-year-old Max Matus has filed a lawsuit in Florida’s 11th Judicial Circuit Court to seek a temporary injunction that would prevent the auction from taking place.

Matus asserts that he had the ball in his left hand when Chris Belanski wrapped his legs around it, effectively keeping Matus from holding onto the ball as Belanski tried to pull it away, according to the legal documents.

Belanski can be seen in a black shirt with the ball in hand in a viral video, while Matus, wearing a Marlins jersey, is visibly frustrated as he disentangles himself from Belanski.

Following a court ruling that denied Matus’s request to stop the auction, the bidding has begun and is expected to continue until October 16.

Who Currently Has Shohei Ohtani’s 50th Home Run Ball?

Goldin Auctions, a New Jersey-based company known for record-setting sales, is overseeing the auction of the Ohtani 50-50 ball, which has potential to break records.

“We are aware of the lawsuit that has been filed,” a spokesperson from Goldin stated to Cllct reporter Darren Rovell. “After examining the claims and the images presented in the lawsuit, along with publicly available game footage, Goldin intends to move forward with the auction for the Ohtani 50-50 ball. Although Goldin has been named in the lawsuit, there are no accusations of any misconduct on the part of the company.”

What is the Value of Shohei Ohtani’s 50th Home Run Ball?

The auction’s starting bid was announced at $500,000, as per reports from earlier this week.

By Friday, the ball had received at least two bids, with the highest bid reaching $732,000, making it the fifth-most expensive home run ball ever sold, according to Rovell.