ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Volatile Kansas City outfielder Jose Guillen got into a heated clubhouse exchange with pitching coach Bob McClure prior to tonight's game, knocking over chairs before several Royals stepped in to separate them.

Guillen and McClure argued face-to-face, but no punches were thrown. Guillen, who unleashed a profanity-filled tirade against his teammates in May, declined to comment on the incident and started against Tampa Bay.

It was the third locker room altercation in the majors in the last 10 days — none of them pitted player vs. player. Pitcher Shawn Chacon threw down Houston general manager Ed Wade and Boston slugger Manny Ramirez reportedly shoved a team official.

Guillen was sitting at a table by his locker when he toppled over a chair and made a comment in Spanish. After a teammate attempted to calm him down, Guillen appeared to get more agitated, tossed over another chair and said, "Coaches don't need to be all up in our ... business."

McClure, who was sitting at his locker, turned around and said, "Jose, if you're talking about me, then you need to shut ... up."

Guillen then knocked over another chair, yelled at McClure and confronted the coach.

Guillen told McClure he wasn't talking about him and wasn't being disrespectful toward the coach. Guillen added he didn't appreciate McClure telling him to be quiet.

Royals manager Trey Hillman was talking with reporters in the dugout when the exchange took place.

Hillman later sat in the dugout with Guillen for a couple minutes during batting practice and they walked together to the clubhouse. Hillman declined to comment about the dustup, saying all clubhouse matters would be handled internally.

Chacon was suspended and later released by the Astros after he grabbed Wade by the neck and threw him to the ground, a dispute that began in the dining room at Houston.

A week ago, Ramirez reportedly shoved the Red Sox traveling secretary to the ground inside the visitor's clubhouse in Houston over an argument about tickets. Ramirez later apologized.

Guillen began the night hitting .277 with a team-leading 13 home runs and 64 RBIs. He signed a three-year, $36 million contract as a free agent in the offseason.

In late May, after the Royals lost their 10th straight game, he criticized his teammates and added, "Too many babies in here."

Guillen was suspended by the Angels for the last two weeks of the 2004 regular season and postseason for inappropriate conduct after expressing his displeasure with manager Mike Scioscia. After the year, Guillen was traded to the Washington Nationals.