Latest news with #Dubón
Los Angeles Times
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Could two first bases prevent Luis Arráez-like collisions? Padres manager Mike Shildt not opposed to it
Umpires call it a train wreck, a play that results in a horrific collision through no fault of the baserunner or fielder. No interference or obstruction is called. It's considered 'just baseball' and seemingly unavoidable. The most recent example began with a bunt by Luis Arráez of the San Diego Padres against the Houston Astros on Sunday. First baseman Christian Walker fielded the ball and tossed it to second baseman Mauricio Dubón, who'd raced over to cover first. Dubón's momentum carried him directly behind the base as he touched it with his foot to record the out. Arráez, meanwhile, motored up the line and through the base, then slammed into Dubón. Arráez got the worst of it, suffering a concussion that landed him on the injured list. Throughout baseball history, such collisions have been met mostly with grimaces and shrugs. Nobody likes seeing an injury, but the game is the game and, as the saying goes, it hasn't changed in 150 years. Now, though, tweaking rules and introducing concepts are in vogue, whether to improve the pace of play with a pitch clock, increase stolen bases with larger bags, or address player safety by eliminating catchers blocking home plate. Addressing collisions at first base might be next. They are frequent, and often result in serious injury. An abbreviated list of memorable train wrecks at first base: — 2023: The Minnesota Twins' Royce Lewis flips over Cleveland Guardians first baseman Gabriel Arias and lands on his face, with his neck bending as his legs fly up and over his body.— 2022: Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gets his free hand stepped on while stretching for a throw. — 2017: The Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper hyperextends his left knee when he lunges to beat a throw and slips on a wet base during a crowded play at first. — 2013: The New York Mets' Eric Young steps on the right ankle of Atlanta Braves pitcher Tim Hudson, who is covering the bag on a ground ball to first baseman Freddie Freeman. Hudson suffers a fractured ankle. And, of course, Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy suffers a torn ulnar collateral ligament when the Brewers' Jace Peterson slams into his left arm as he reaches into the base line to catch a throw in the last game of the 2021 regular season. Muncy is out for the entire postseason and the injury lingers into the next spring. 'I definitely felt like my arm wasn't there,' Muncy said. Several if not all of those calamitous collisions could have been avoided with one simple solution: Follow the lead of NCAA baseball and utilize two first bases, an orange or green one for the runner and a white one for the fielder. The injury to his three-time National League batting champion Arráez fresh in his mind, Padres manager Mike Shildt said on the 'Starkville' podcast with Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville that common sense dictates Major League Baseball explore the two-base solution. 'I wouldn't be opposed to it,' he said. 'I haven't seen it or played with it, to form a real strong opinion. But conceptually, it's one of those things where you go: You know, why not? I mean, we want our players to be safe and on the field. ... Conceptually, it does check some boxes to me that make sense — that listen, let's just create a lane for everybody.' Shildt said Arráez seems to be recovering well so far. 'He's sore, as you would expect,' Shildt said. 'But nothing from a CT scan that's alarming in the cervical area or the jaw line, because he got a little abrasion on his jaw. And cognitively, [he's] alert, remembers what's taken place, is testing positively to this point on anything relative to the concussion side of it.' Pushback on implementing double first bases might come from purists, but player safety has become an overarching concern as salaries have increased. The average MLB salary this year is $5 million, which is what Dubón will make. Arráez will make $14 million. The collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2026 season. Top of the agenda for owners in negotiations will be the creative spending of deep-pocket teams such as the Dodgers and Mets. Another hot-button topic is player safety, which union chief Tony Clark mentions at every turn. Double first bases, anyone?
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Astros player opens up on 'death threats' after horrific collision left Padres star Luis Arraez unconscious
Houston Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubón was admittedly concerned about death threats after a violent collision with San Diego Padres star Luis Arraez on Sunday. 'It was scary,' Dubón said after violent incident in Sunday's loss to the visiting Padres. 'I mean, just watching him not move. It was scary. Especially people know the type of player I am. I´m not a dirty player or anything. So it sucks. Worst part about it is you get death threats from stuff like this and everything. So it´s going to be a fun ride home.' When asked if he has received any death threats, a club spokesman told 'That's not something the Astros will comment on.' Arraez collided with Dubón after dropping down a bunt along the first-base line at Minute Made Park on Sunday. With Houston first baseman Christian Walker moving up the line to field the dribbler, Dubón was left to cover the bag, where he and Arraez crashed into each other. Dubón, a former Gold Glove winner, appeared to step on the wrong part of the base on the play, which may have led to the collision. Instead of putting his spike on the inside part of the bag, the 30-year-old native of Honduras stepped on the center of the base at the exact moment Arraez arrived. He held onto the ball to record the out but quickly realized that Arraez wasn't moving in the aftermath of the collision. Both Dubón and Padres first base coach David Macias rushed in to check on Arraez, who was slumped over to his side. Trainers quickly came onto the field to tend to Arraez while nervous manager Mike Shildt and right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. watched helplessly. 3x batting champ Luis Arraez is carted off the field after apparently getting knocked out in a terrifying collision at 1B. My goodness, you hope he's okay. Arraez is one of the best in the game, an absolute throwback to the days of bat-to-ball magicians. — Not Gaetti (@notgaetti) April 20, 2025 It took roughly 10 minutes for play to resume as medical staff removed Arraez on cart to rush him to a nearby hospital. Since then, Arraez has issued an update saying he is fine and expects to rejoin the Padres on Monday. Fans were largely split over Dubón's culpability on the play. While many felt the collision was unavoidable, others focused on Dubón's footwork, which directly led to the incident. 'Mauricio Dubón deserves a suspension for that extremely reckless play that cased Luis Arraez to be carried out in a stretcher. There is no way Dubón should have been on the other side of first base after catch the ball. A play like that can end somebody's career. 'Has Mauricio Dubón ever covered a base in his f***ing life,' another asked. Meanwhile, Dubón insists he did nothing wrong. 'It was scary,' Dubón said. 'I mean, just watching him not move. It was scary. Especially people know the type of player I am. I´m not a dirty player or anything. So it sucks.' The good news is that Arraez was not seriously hurt. Many online were convinced that Dubón was at fault for placing his foot on top of the bag Some called for Dubón to be suspended for what they felt was an 'extremely reckless play' Luis Arraez, the 28-year-old San Diego Padres star and native of San Felipe, Venezuela, calmed fans' fears on Instagram by announcing he will be back with the club on Monday 'Dear fans and everyone who was concerned about me,' the 28-year-old Venezuelan star began his Instagram post, which was written in both English and Spanish. 'As you saw, I had to leave tonight's game on a stretcher after a collision during a play. I was taken to Houston Methodist Hospital, where I underwent the necessary medical tests. Thankfully, there is nothing to worry about. I'm currently resting and plan to rejoin the team this Monday. 'I truly appreciate all your prayers and kind messages,' Arraez said. 'I want to thank the medical and paramedic staff of both the Padres and the Astros, as well as those who took care of me at the hospital. Most importantly, I thank God for His protection—I'm doing well now.' Despite Arraez's optimistic message, Shildt issued a few words of caution when speaking to reporters on Sunday night. 'Obviously, very scary,' Shildt said. 'We think he's for the most part out of the woods. More time will tell, but the initial testing is very favorable. No fractures of any sort. I mean, he got a little bit of a laceration on his jawline, so we are worried about his jaw. We are worried about his cervical region. Everything was clear, stable on the initial testing. 'We've been burned before on testing, so we will be cautiously optimistic,' he continued. 'He did have a period where he wasn't aware of where he was, so that's clearly concerning. Everything is coming back to him now, and his initial testing from a concussion standpoint was favorable, but clearly, we are not out of the woods. All things considered, that´s a blessing.'
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Padres star Luis Arraez breaks his silence from hospital bed after sickening collision left him out cold
Reigning National League batting champion Luis Arraez has issued an encouraging update from his hospital bed after being knocked out and stretchered off the field in Houston on Sunday. The 28-year-old San Diego Padres star and native of San Felipe, Venezuela calmed fans' fears on Instagram by announcing he will be back with the club on Monday. 'Dear fans and everyone who was concerned about me,' Arraez began his Instagram post, which was written in both English and Spanish. 'As you saw, I had to leave tonight's game on a stretcher after a collision during a play. I was taken to Houston Methodist Hospital, where I underwent the necessary medical tests. Thankfully, there is nothing to worry about. I'm currently resting and plan to rejoin the team this Monday.' Arraez collided with Houston Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubón after dropping down a bunt along the first-base line at Minute Made Park on Sunday. With Houston first baseman Christian Walker moving up the line to field the dribbler, Dubón was left to cover the bag, where he and Arraez crashed into each other. Dubón held onto the ball to record the out but quickly realized that Arraez wasn't moving. Both he and first base coach David Macias rushed in to check on Arraez, who was slumped over to his side. Trainers rushed onto the field to tend to Arraez while nervous manager Mike Shildt and right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. watched helplessly. It took roughly 10 minutes for play to resume as medical staff removed Arraez on cart to rush him to a nearby hospital. Luis Arraez, the 28-year-old San Diego Padres star and native of San Felipe, Venezuela, calmed fans' fears on Instagram by announcing he will be back with the club on Monday 'I truly appreciate all your prayers and kind messages,' Arraez said. 'I want to thank the medical and paramedic staff of both the Padres and the Astros, as well as those who took care of me at the hospital. Most importantly, I thank God for His protection—I'm doing well now.' Despite Arraez's optimistic message, Shildt issued a few words of caution when speaking to reporters on Sunday night. 'Obviously, very scary,' Shildt said. 'We think he´s for the most part out of the woods. More time will tell, but the initial testing is very favorable. No fractures of any sort. I mean, he got a little bit of a laceration on his jawline, so we are worried about his jaw. We are worried about his cervical region. Everything was clear, stable on the initial testing. 'We´ve been burned before on testing, so we will be cautiously optimistic,' he continued. 'He did have a period where he wasn´t aware of where he was, so that´s clearly concerning. Everything is coming back to him now, and his initial testing from a concussion standpoint was favorable, but clearly, we are not out of the woods. All things considered, that´s a blessing.' Dubón, a former Gold Glove winner, appeared to step on the wrong part of the base on the play, which may have led to the collision. Instead of putting his spike on the inside part of the bag, the 30-year-old native of Honduras stepped on the center of the base at the exact moment Arraez arrived. 'It was scary,' Dubón said. 'I mean, just watching him not move. It was scary. Especially people know the type of player I am. I´m not a dirty player or anything. So it sucks.' Despite Dubón's, he said he's since received death threats. 'Worst part about it is you get death threats from stuff like this and everything,' he told reporters. 'So it´s going to be a fun ride home.' He went on to insist there was nothing he could have done about the collision. 'It sucks just having that play on him and everything,' Dubón said. 'Like I said before, there´s nothing I could have done. I braced myself and I thought I was going to get the worst out of it. I mean, I´m not a big guy.' A winner of three batting titles with three different teams over the last three seasons, Arraez is a converted second baseman who now finds himself splitting time between first and designated hitter. As seen on his Instagram account, Arraez and wife Gladys have three daughters: Emma, Esther, and Esthela.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Padres' Luis Arraez released from hospital, rejoins team after scary collision in win over Astros
Padres designated hitter Luis Arraez was carted off the field and taken to a local hospital Sunday night after a scary collision at first base during San Diego's 3-2 win over the Houston Astros. Arraez ran directly into Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubón while trying to make it to first after a sacrifice bunt in the first inning of the matchup at Daikin Park. Arraez and Dubón collided hard and both immediately fell to the ground, though Dubón jumped back up quickly. Advertisement Arraez rolled straight over to his left shoulder, however, and he remained down completely motionless for quite some time while Dubón and the Padres' first-base coach checked on him. Others quickly ran out to help him, too. Arraez was eventually placed onto a stretcher and taken off the field. He was moving his limbs and gave a thumbs up as he was carted down the right-field line, via the San Diego Union Tribune's Kevin Acee. Arraez was taken to a local hospital for further testing. The team said he was stable, conscious, responsive and able to move his extremities. He was released from the hospital soon after arriving, though, and he returned to the Padres' clubhouse after the game. He is going to stay in Houston on Sunday night, per Acee, and hopefully join the team on Monday. 'Obviously, very scary,' Padres manager Mike Shildt said, via The Associated Press. 'We think he's for the most part out of the woods. More time will tell, but the initial testing is very favorable. No fractures of any sort. I mean, he got a little bit of a laceration on his jawline, so we are worried about his jaw. We are worried about his cervical region. Everything was clear, stable on the initial testing.' Advertisement The game resumed after about a 15-minute delay. 'It was scary,' Dubón said, via The Associated Press 'I mean, just watching him not move. It was scary. Especially people know the type of player I am. I'm not a dirty player or anything. So it sucks. Worst part about it is you get death threats from stuff like this and everything. So it's going to be a fun ride home.' The Padres rolled to the one-run win thanks to a run from Fernando Tatis Jr. in the first inning on a scoring error, and then he broke a 2-2 tie with a solo home run in the seventh. Gavin Sheets, who replaced Arraez in the lineup, hit an RBI single to score Tatis in the third inning, too. Arraez holds a .287 batting average with seven RBI and three home runs this season. The 28-year-old was traded to the Padres by the Miami Marlins last May. He led the National League with 200 hits last season and posted a .314 batting average in 150 games. The team then struck a one-year, $14 million deal with him this past offseason. Advertisement The Padres' win on Sunday night avoided a three-game series sweep with the Astros. They now hold a 16-6 record. The Padres will wrap up their road trip with a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Monday.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Padres' Luis Arraez stretchered off field, taken to hospital after scary collision at first base in win over Astros
Padres designated hitter Luis Arraez was carted off the field and taken to a local hospital Sunday night after a scary collision at first base during San Diego's 3-2 win over the Houston Astros. Arraez ran directly into Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubón while trying to make it to first after a sacrifice bunt in the first inning of the matchup at Daikin Park. Arraez and Dubón collided hard and both immediately fell to the ground, though Dubón jumped back up quickly. Arraez rolled straight over to his left shoulder, however, and he remained down completely motionless for quite some time while Dubón and the Padres' first-base coach checked on him. Luis Arraez was placed on a stretcher and carted off the field after colliding with Mauricio Dubon at first gave a thumbs up as the cart was driving off the field. — ESPN (@espn) April 20, 2025 Others quickly ran out to help him, too. Arraez was eventually placed onto a stretcher and taken off the field. He was moving his limbs and gave a thumbs up as he was carted down the right-field line, via the San Diego Union Tribune's Kevin Acee. Arraez was taken to a local hospital for further testing. The team said he was stable, conscious, responsive and able to move his extremities. He was released from the hospital soon after arriving, though, and he returned to the Padres' clubhouse after the game. Further specifics on his condition are not yet known. The game resumed after about a 15-minute delay. The Padres rolled to the one-run win thanks to a run from Fernando Tatis Jr. in the first inning on a scoring error, and then he broke a 2-2 tie with a solo home run in the seventh. Gavin Sheets, who replaced Arraez in the lineup, hit an RBI single to score Tatis in the third inning, too. Arraez holds a .287 batting average with seven RBI and three home runs this season. The 28-year-old was traded to the Padres by the Miami Marlins last May. He led the National League with 200 hits last season and posted a .314 batting average in 150 games. The team then struck a one-year, $14 million deal with him this past offseason. The Padres' win on Sunday night avoided a three-game series sweep with the Astros. They now hold a 16-6 record. The Padres will wrap up their road trip with a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Monday.
