San Diego Padres’ designated hitter Luis Arraez was carted off the field and taken to a local hospital Sunday night after a frightening collision at first base during the team’s 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros.
Arraez collided with Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubón while running to first base after a sacrifice bunt in the first inning of the game at Daikin Park. Both players fell to the ground upon impact, with Dubón quickly getting back up.
Arraez landed on his left shoulder and remained motionless for a considerable amount of time while receiving attention from Dubón and the Padres’ first-base coach. He was eventually placed on a stretcher and taken off the field, moving his limbs and giving a thumbs up as he was carted away, as reported by the San Diego Union Tribune’s Kevin Acee.
Arraez was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. The team confirmed that he was stable, conscious, responsive, and able to move his extremities. After being released from the hospital, Arraez returned to the Padres’ clubhouse and is expected to join the team on Monday after staying in Houston overnight, according to Acee.
Padres manager Mike Shildt stated, “Obviously, very scary. We believe he’s mostly out of the woods. More evaluation will be needed, but the initial tests are positive. No fractures were found. However, there is a concern about his jaw and cervical region. Initial tests showed everything clear and stable.”
The game resumed after a brief delay of about 15 minutes.
Dubón expressed, “It was scary. Just seeing him not move was frightening. People know the type of player I am, not dirty or anything. It’s unfortunate. The worst part is receiving threats because of incidents like this. It’s going to be a challenging journey home.”
The Padres secured the one-run victory with key contributions from Fernando Tatis Jr., who scored on a first-inning error and hit a solo home run in the seventh to break the tie. Replacement player Gavin Sheets added an RBI single in the third inning.
Arraez has a .287 batting average this season with seven RBI and three home runs. Traded to the Padres from the Miami Marlins last year, he led the National League in hits and maintained a .314 batting average in the previous season. The team signed him to a one-year, $14 million contract during the offseason.
The Padres’ win prevented a series sweep by the Astros, bringing their record to 16-6. They will conclude their road trip with a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers starting on Monday.