Jason Heyward injured making great diving catch in San Francisco
Chicago Cubs’ fans, players and coaches alike were left holding their breath on Friday night after right fielder Jason Heyward was forced to leave the game after colliding with the right-field wall at San Francisco’s AT&T Park.
Heyward had just completed a remarkable diving catch in what’s known as Triple’s Alley, surely taking away at least three bases from Giants’ leadoff hitter Denard Span. However, his momentum carried him directly into the wall, forcing his upper body to bend awkwardly.
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The outfield wall is mostly padded in San Francisco, though there’s a slight opening at the bottom where Heyward hit. That didn’t help matters, but given the angle and the force there was nothing Heyward could do to prevent his body from being jarred by the impact.
Heyward remained on the ground for several minutes as his Cubs teammates surrounded him and the team’s athletic trainer tended to him. He was able to walk off under his own power, which was a good sign. For now, the Cubs are calling it a right torso or abdominal injury, but something more official should come out soon.
Aside from having dynamic offensive potential, a big reason the Cubs brought Heyward on board was his defense. He showed why with this catch, as he nearly defied physics with his jump and his ability to outrun the baseball.
The ball may have actually traveled farther than that based on where Heyward caught it. The ball entered his glove just in front of the 421-foot sign, though it’s anybody’s guess which estimate in more accurate.
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All we can say for sure is the catch was one of the best we’ve seen all season, and according to Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow one of the best he’s seen in that part of the ballpark.
With that said, the Cubs would rather not lose Heyward for any significant time. They’re already down Kyle Schwarber, who was lost for the season after an outfield collision in Arizona. Without Heyward, they’ll be looking at giving extended outfield time to Jorge Soler, Kris Byrant and Matt Szczur. That would be a big hit defensively, but the Cubs are still loaded enough that they could withstand another blow to the lineup.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
