San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was sent crashing to the turf on Friday night when he took a 95mph fastball to the head.
Texas Rangers pitcher Kumar Rocker launched the ball at Tatis Jr., who was powerless to stop it from smashing him on the side of the head.
Tatis Jr. fell straight to the ground and an eerie silence descended among the crowd at the spring training game in Arizona.
Fortunately, he was able to continue playing and helped the Padres to a thrilling 9-8 win.
But he almost suffered another sickening blow later in the game when only his quick reactions stopped the 26-year-old from getting hit again.
Tatis Jr. was able to get out of the way this time after another wild pitch from the Rangers. This time it was Dane Dunning on the mound.
San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. took a 95mph fastball to the head on Friday night
Tatis Jr. fell straight to the ground and an eerie silence descended among the crowd in Arizona
Earlier this month Tatis Jr. signed a management deal with Rimas Sports, the agency co-owned by Puerto Rican musical artist Bad Bunny whose leaders have been suspended by the baseball players´ union.
Rimas said it will oversee marketing, brand relations and other services, working to ‘expand his portfolio as an athlete, businessman and philanthropist.’
Tatis and the Padres agreed in 2021 to a $340million, 14-year contract negotiated by MVP Sports, an agency headed by Dan Lozano.
Rimas Sports says it is a partnership among Bad Bunny and executives Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda. The company says it represents Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr., Colorado´s Ezequiel Tovar and the New York Mets’ Francisco Alvarez.
The Major League Baseball Players Association revoked the agent certification of Rimas’ William Arroyo last April and denied certification to Assad and Miranda, citing a $200,000 interest-free loan and a $19,500 gift. The union issued a $400,000 fine for misconduct.
Arbitrator Ruth M. Moscovitch last October upheld the union’s five-year suspensions of Assad and Miranda and cut Arroyo’s suspension to three years.
U.S. District Judge Jennifer H. Rearden in Manhattan set a February 18 deadline for Assad, Miranda and Arroyo to file a response to the union’s motion to confirm the decision, but no response has been filed.
