Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna exited Tueday night's game against the Red Sox in Boston after injuring his left hand on a head-first slide into third base.
Ozuna was injured attempting to advance from second base to third on a ground ball hit by teammate Ozzie Albies. The roller was fielded by Boston second baseman Enrique Hernandez, who threw across the diamond to third baseman Rafael Devers in hopes of heading off the runner in scoring position, Ozuna.
Hernandez's throw arrived before Devers was on the base, apparently prompting Ozuna to slide well short of the bag to avoid a collision. Ozuna's left hand caught under Devers' left cleat, and he immediately came up in pain after being tagged out. Devers was upset and quickly looked away at the sight of Ozuna's hand, and some of Ozuna's teammates appeared shaken up as he passed through the dugout on his way for medical attention.
After the game, Braves manager Brian Snitker said Ozuna's left middle and ring fingers were dislocated, and the hand had been put in a splint until he could be further evaluated by team doctors back in Atlanta. Snitker seemed to be optimistic that Ozuna could potentially avoid a stint on the Injured List if the hand suffered no further damage beyond the dislocations. The Braves were scheduled to be off on Thursday after wrapping up their brief two-game series in Boston on Wednesday night.
Some observers on social media suggested the injury may have been avoidable, as Ozuna didn't appear to have much of a path to the base given where Devers was standing when he caught Hernandez's throw.
In any event, it seems the head-first slide remains perilous for baserunners. Ozuna's injury comes the same day Marlins slugger Brian Anderson was placed on the IL after jamming his shoulder on a head-first dive.
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