Padres’ Arraez Released from Hospital After On-Field Collision

HOUSTON — Luis Arraez of the San Diego Padres was able to return to the stadium after being taken to the hospital due to a collision with Mauricio Dubón during a play at first base in the opening inning of the Padres’ narrow 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday night.

Following the game, San Diego’s manager, Mike Shildt, expressed relief over Arraez’s condition, describing it as the “best case scenario.”

“Initially, it was really frightening,” Shildt remarked. “It seems now that he’s mostly out of immediate danger. We will know more with time, but the first tests are encouraging. There are no fractures, which is a great relief. He did sustain a minor cut along his jawline. We were really concerned about his jaw and his neck area, but initial checks show both are stable.”

Shildt, however, tempered this with a cautious approach towards relying solely on initial results.

“We’ve had issues before where the initial tests weren’t conclusive, so we can only be cautiously optimistic,” he added. “There was a moment when he was disoriented, which is worrying. However, he seems to be regaining his senses now, and the preliminary tests show no signs of a concussion, which is promising. Nonetheless, we must remain vigilant.”

The incident occurred when Arraez attempted a drag bunt off the first pitch, which rolled toward first baseman Christian Walker. Walker tossed the ball to Dubón, who was covering first base and the two players collided. Arraez appeared to have struck Dubón’s arm or elbow with his face during the collision.

Both players tumbled to the ground, but Arraez appeared to suffer the brunt of the impact, lying still in foul territory close to first base as medical personnel from both teams quickly rushed to his aid.

“It was terrifying,” said Dubón. “Seeing him unmoving was distressing. People know I’m not a malicious player, so it’s rough. The worst part is the kind of backlash you face, like receiving threats. It’s going to make for a tense trip home.”

As teammates Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, along with Dubón and Walker, watched, Arraez was carefully secured onto a backboard and carted off the field. Arraez acknowledged Shildt with a gesture as he was being taken away.

“It was a solemn moment,” recounted Tatis, who was pivotal in the game’s outcome with a crucial home run. “Being close to him and seeing him like that was unnerving. It was almost enough to bring tears, but we kept our composure, sat next to him, and prayed. We’re just glad he’s back with us, standing again. It’s a harsh reality of the game, but such incidents happen. We’re just relieved he’s OK.”

Tatis, who was advancing towards second base when the collision happened, said he could hear the impact.

“Once the timeout was called, I rushed over to check on him,” Tatis said.

Dubón, familiar with Arraez, expressed his sentiments regarding the incident.

“That’s why it’s so upsetting,” Dubón noted. “Having that kind of play happen is distressing. As I mentioned, there was nothing I could do. I braced for impact, assuming I’d come off worse. I mean, I’m not exactly hefty.”

After a pause lasting about ten minutes, the game resumed.

Before the unfortunate incident, Arraez was batting .287 for the season, with three home runs and seven RBIs.