Padres' Arraez out of the hospital after collision at first base

HOUSTON (AP) — San Diego’s Luis Arraez returned to the stadium postgame after he was taken to a hospital following a collision with Mauricio Dubón on a play at first base in the first inning of the Padres’ 3-2 win over the Astros on Sunday night.

San Diego manager Mike Shildt said after the game that the situation was the “best case scenario with Luis.”

“Obviously, very scary,” Shildt said. “We think he’s for the most part out of the woods. More time will tell, but the initial testing is very favorable. No fractures of any sort. I mean, he got a little bit of a laceration on his jawline, so we are worried about his jaw. We are worried about his cervical region. Everything was clear, stable on the initial testing.”

However, Shildt was cautionary about the initial testing.

“We’ve been burned before on testing, so we will be cautiously optimistic,” he said. “He did have a period where he wasn’t aware of where he was, so that’s clearly concerning. Everything is coming back to him now, and his initial testing from a concussion standpoint was favorable, but clearly, we are not out of the woods. All things considered, that’s a blessing.”

Arraez hit a drag bunt on the first pitch of his at-bat, grounding it down the first base line to Christian Walker, who flipped it to second baseman Dubón, who ran over to cover first. As Dubón covered the base, he collided with Padres designated hitter Arraez, who appeared to hit Dubón’s arm or elbow with his face.

Both players hit the ground, but Arraez took the worst of it, laying motionless in foul territory next to first base as trainers and coaches from both teams came out to tend to him.

“It was scary,” Dubón said. “I mean, just watching him not move. It was scary. Especially people know the type of player I am. I’m not a dirty player or anything. So it sucks. Worst part about it is you get death threats from stuff like this and everything. So it’s going to be a fun ride home.”

Dubón and Walker as well as Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado stood and watched as Arraez was placed on a backboard and carted out of the stadium. As he was being placed on the cart, Arraez put his arm around Shildt.

“It was a sad moment, especially getting close to him and seeing him on the ground like that, you definitely get scared,” said Tatis, who hit the tiebreaking home run in the game. “You almost go into tears but holding up. You sit down right next to him and start praying for him right away. Happy he is back with us already. Just happy, he’s standing up. It’s a sad part of the game, but stuff happens sometimes. Just happy he’s alright.”

Tatis, who was running to second on the play, said he heard the collision.

“As soon as they called timeout, I went to see my boy and see what was going on,” he said.

Dubón said he knows Arraez.

“That’s what I’m saying,” Dubón said. “It sucks just having that play on him and everything. Like I said before, there’s nothing I could have done. I braced myself and I thought I was going to get the worst out of it. I mean, I’m not a big guy.”

Play resumed after a 10-minute delay

Arraez entered hitting .287 on the season with three home runs and seven RBIs.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez (4) collides with Houston Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubon, left, at first base resulting in Arraez being carted off the field during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

San Diego Padres third base coach Tim Leiper (33) hugs Houston Astros manager Joe Espada (19) after Padres' Luis Arraez lies on the ground after a collision with with Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubon at first base rduring the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez lies on the ground after a collision with with Houston Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubon, left, as Padres first base coach David Macias (46) along with an Astros' trainer check on him at first base during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

San Diego Padres' Luis Arraez gives a thumbs up as he was carted off the field after a collision with Houston Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubon during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 20, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren)

CINCINNATI (AP) — After opening the season as the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns facing the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Flacco will close the season as the backup for the Bengals as they face the Browns on Sunday.

Flacco was dealt to the Bengals in October and made six starts for the Bengals while Joe Burrow was out with a toe injury.

“I don’t really think about putting a label on it,” Flacco said. “It’s crazy. Seasons always go by quick once they’ve started. But the way that this one went, it seems like it flew by.”

During the summer, in Cleveland Browns training camp, Flacco won a competition for the starting quarterback job and made four starts for Cleveland. In Week 1 against the Bengals, Flacco threw for 290 yards.

He said that over the past 17 weeks, he has seen improvement from the Bengals defense. Now, he refers to the Bengals defense as his team’s defense.

“We’re stopping the run,” Flacco said. “We’re getting more pressure on the quarterback. When you combine those two things, it’s going to help you out.”

While Flacco went 1-5 as a starter in Cincinnati, the 40-year-old played well. He threw for at least 200 yards in four of his six starts, and the Bengals offense averaged more than 27 points per game.

Flacco said that he developed a lot of respect for Bengals coach Zac Taylor.

“He has a lot of strengths,” Flacco said. “He’s really good at what he does. His demeanor, his overall personality and the way he leads men is really good. The way he puts game plans together. Also, he’s willing to allow it to be collaborative. That’s a strength. His game day play-calling is also something he does really well.”

Burrow took over as the starter when he returned on Thanksgiving, and Flacco has been the backup over the past month.

Flacco will be a free agent again at the end of the season. As he evaluates his options, he’s hoping to find another chance to play and to start.

“That’s always a priority,” Flacco said. “I’m somebody who wants to play football. You’ve got to assess and see whatever is thrown your way. You have to go from there and see what you can do about it.”

He said that he’d be open to returning to the Bengals, but he’ll weigh several factors.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Flacco said. “I don’t hope to do anything. I have an idea of maybe of what some goals would be. I’ll go from there and see what happens.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco throws during pregame warmups before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) calls a play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)