No one wants to see players get hurt in a game, especially if it’s during an exhibition. But that was potentially the case for Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez.
Suarez, playing in his second All-Star Game and a hot name in this trade deadline cycle, especially when it comes to the Mets and Yankees, led off the eighth inning against the White Sox’s Shane Smith. On the fourth pitch of the at-bat, Suarez took a 96 mph fastball to the pinky of his left hand.
Advertisement
The infielder got on one knee in pain while trainers attended to him, but Suarez stayed in the game and ran the bases.
Suarez even played the field in the ninth and made a spectacular throw to get the first out of the inning.
It seemed as though Suarez avoided disaster but the third baseman was supposed to hit for the National League during the first-ever swing-off. He was replaced by the Marlins’ Kyle Stowers.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who was leading the National League, said after the game that he had Stowers replace Suarez due to the hit-by-pitch. Suarez would tell the media that he received X-rays at Truist Park during the swing-off and that they were negative. He also said he’s relieved by the results.
Advertisement
Suarez is having a great season, which is why he’s the talk of many a trade rumor recently. At the break, he’s slashing .250/.320/.569 with an OPS of .889. His 31 homers are second in the National League, while his 78 RBI lead the league.
He is in the final year of his contract, so he makes the perfect trade deadline acquisition as a rental, especially for a Diamondbacks team (47-50) who are 11 games back of the NL West crown but are still just 5.5 games back in the NL Wild Card.