A lot of words have been written and said over the last few hours, during and after the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Diego Padres.
The hottest topic, of course, is Luke Voit‘s slide into home plate that left Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson with a concussion.
You can see the play here.
It was the bottom of the first inning, and Voit, who is not a particularly graceful slider, or baserunner for that matter, collided with Stephenson at home while trying to beat the throw to score.
It could certainly be viewed as a dirty play, especially with some awkward use of his hands, but in reality, the most likely scenario, knowing how slow Voit is, is that he didn’t have intentions to hurt him.
Voit Said He Didn’t Try To Make The Play Dirty
“Luke Voit on his slide last night: ‘It was 250 pounds coming right at him. I mean, it’s baseball. I wasn’t trying to make it dirty or anything. Just trying to make a play, obviously. … Once I hit third, it’s like, ‘Here I go.’ I know it’s gonna be a close play,'” Bobby Nightengale tweeted, quoting the Padres’ slugger.
Luke Voit on his slide last night: “It was 250 pounds coming right at him. I mean, it’s baseball. I wasn’t trying to make it dirty or anything. Just trying to make a play, obviously. … Once I hit third, it’s like, ‘Here I go.’ I know it’s gonna be a close play." https://t.co/XVezFqXm6Z
— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) April 20, 2022
Voit, who suffered a meniscus injury last year that was re-aggravated at some point in the season, isn’t really known for his baserunning skills.
He probably isn’t used to sliding at any base, and it certainly looked like that was the case on Tuesday.
Since Stephenson was diagnosed with a concussion, he was placed on the seven-day list and will be out of action for a while.
He needs to rest for a few days, but it looks like serious damage was avoided.
NEXT: Padres Manager Does His Best To Defend Luke Voit After Brutal Slide