ATLANTA – Javier Báez is injured.
The 33-year-old couldn’t put any weight on his right leg after trying to avoid a tag that never came at first base with the Detroit Tigers in the fifth inning Tuesday, April 28, against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.
He had to be carted off the field.
On a wild throw from shortstop Mauricio Dubón, Báez tried to sneak around a potential tag from first baseman Matt Olson, but his left foot slipped on the bag. As he fell backward, his right leg got caught underneath his body.
Báez rolled around in pain.
He stayed ground for a several minutes after the play (which resulted in the first out of the fifth inning), with assistant athletic trainer Kelly Rhoades appearing to evaluate his right knee.
Both Rhoades and first-base coach Anthony Sanders helped Báez get into the cart.
Báez was replaced by Wenceel Pérez, who entered the game in right field. To accommodate, Matt Vierling shifted from right field to center field.
In Tuesday’s game, Báez finished 0-for-2 with a pair of groundouts against left-hander Martín Pérez.
He is hitting .256 with two home runs, two walks and 16 strikeouts across 24 games, posting a .677 OPS. The 13-year MLB veteran has made 16 starts at shortstop, six starts in center field and one start at third base.
Báez is in the penultimate season of a six-year, $140 million contract with the Tigers, which he signed in December 2021. He is owed $24 million in both 2026 and 2026.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Javier Báez carted off in Detroit Tigers game after scary leg injury
Reporting by Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
