A frightening moment unfolded early in the Sunday night game between the Padres and Astros in Houston.
Padres designated hitter Luis Arráez was trying to reach first base on a bunt in the first inning when he collided with Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubón at first. Arráez seemed to take Dubón’s shoulder to his head and was down on the ground for several minutes.
Nasty collision between Luis Arráez and Mauricio Dubón resulted in Arráez being carted off the field pic.twitter.com/MVnPeVK5QS — Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 20, 2025.
Eventually, Arráez was stabilized on a backboard and carted off. He was transported to Houston Methodist Hospital for further evaluation, according to the Padres. “[Arráez] is currently stable, conscious, responsive, and able to move his extremities,” the team stated.
After the game, Padres manager Mike Shildt informed reporters that the tests revealed the “best-case scenario.” Arráez is undergoing concussion testing, but otherwise managed to avoid fractures and has just a minor laceration on his jaw. Instead of traveling with the team that night, he will stay overnight in Houston and possibly rejoin them in Detroit on Monday.
Arráez is currently hitting .287/.330/.425 this season. He has taken three consecutive batting titles with three different teams, winning the AL title in 2022 with the Twins before securing the NL batting titles in 2023 with the Marlins and 2024 with the Padres.
If Arráez needs time off, the Padres are likely to utilize Yuli Gurriel at first base and Gavin Sheets as the primary DH. Players like Oscar Gonzalez and Connor Joe could also see more playing time.
