A man from Florida is taking legal action to prevent Shohei Ohtani’s 50th home run ball from being auctioned off, claiming it was stolen from him right after he caught it. An urgent court hearing is set to take place in Miami Dade County as part of a lawsuit filed on behalf of Max Matus, who asserts that he caught the historic ball hit by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Ohtani. This ball, marking Ohtani’s achievement of 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a single season, is slated to be auctioned online on Friday.

According to representatives of Matus, an 18-year-old, he had possession of the ball until another individual, Chris Belanski, allegedly took it from him and displayed it. Kelvin Ramirez, who was with Belanski at the game, is also mentioned in the lawsuit for asserting his ownership of the ball. The New Jersey-based Goldin Auctions, known for handling trading cards, collectibles, and memorabilia, currently holds the ball and intends to proceed with its online auction. Both the auction house and Goldin are included in the legal action brought forth by John Uustal, Matus’ attorney.

Goldin Auctions, in response to the lawsuit, stated to ESPN, “We are aware of the case that has been filed. Having reviewed the allegations and images included in the lawsuit, and publicly available video from the game, Goldin plans to go live with the auction of the Ohtani 50/50 ball.” Matus’ lawsuit not only seeks a court order affirming his right to the ball but also demands a jury trial on his assertions while alleging unlawful battery by Belanski.

If the ball proceeds to auction, the initial bid is expected to start at $500,000. Interested buyers will also have the option to buy the ball outright for $4.5 million between Friday and Oct. 9. Should the bidding reach $3 million before Oct. 9, the exclusive purchase option will be revoked, and buyers will need to engage in bidding. Extended bidding is anticipated to commence on Oct. 16. Ken Goldin, the founder and CEO of the auction house, expressed, “Ohtani is truly one-of-a-kind, and the 50-50 record may be his crowning achievement. This is a piece of baseball history that fans and historians around the world will remember for decades to come.”