Arraez Rejoins Padres After Hospital Visit Following 3-2 Victory

 

HOUSTON — Padres designated hitter Luis Arraez returned to the ballpark after being taken to the hospital following a first-inning collision with Mauricio Dubon in San Diego’s 3-2 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday night.

Padres manager Mike Shildt called the outcome “the best-case scenario with Luis,” describing the situation as initially frightening but ultimately encouraging.

“Obviously, very scary,” Shildt said. “We think he’s mostly out of the woods. The initial tests were very favorable — no fractures. He did suffer a laceration on his jawline, and we were concerned about his jaw and neck, but everything came back clear and stable.”

Despite the good news, Shildt remained cautious.

“We’ve been burned before by early tests, so we’re cautiously optimistic,” he added. “He did have a brief period where he didn’t know where he was, which is concerning. But things are coming back to him, and the early concussion evaluation was favorable. Still, we’re not completely out of the woods.

“All things considered, it’s a blessing.”

The collision occurred after Arraez laid down a drag bunt on the first pitch of his at-bat. Astros first baseman Christian Walker fielded the ball and flipped it to second baseman Mauricio Dubon, who sprinted to cover first base. As Dubon stepped onto the bag, Arraez collided with him, appearing to hit Dubon’s arm or elbow with his face.

Both players went down, but Arraez lay motionless in foul territory near first base as medical personnel rushed onto the field.

“It was scary,” said Dubon. “Seeing him not move was terrifying. People know I’m not a dirty player — I’d never try to hurt anyone. But now I’m getting death threats. That’s the worst part of all this. It’s going to be a long ride home.”

As Arraez was immobilized and carted off the field, he managed to wrap an arm around Shildt, offering a reassuring sign to teammates and fans. Fernando Tatis Jr., who had been running to second on the play, stayed by Arraez’s side and prayed with him.

“It was heartbreaking seeing him like that,” said Tatis, who later hit the game-winning homer. “You just want to cry, but you stay strong for him. I’m just glad he’s already back with us.”

Dubon, clearly shaken, said he did everything he could to avoid injury on the play.

“I braced myself because I thought I was going to take the brunt of it,” he said. “I’m not a big guy. There was nothing else I could do.”

Arraez entered the game batting .287 with three home runs and seven RBIs. He’s in his second season with the Padres after being traded from Miami in 2024.

Play resumed after a 10-minute delay.