Texas Rangers outfielder Daniel Robertson suffered a fractured cheekbone on Thursday after he collided with Alex Rios’ knee while trying to make a play on a ball that was falling between right and center field. Robertson went into a dive while Rios went into a slide, and the 28-year-old rookie’s face paid the price.
As you can see, Robertson’s face hit Rios’ knee so hard his gum went flying out of his mouth. He laid motionless on the grass for a minute or so before being helped up by his teammates.
“It was a hard play, a hustle play and we were both going after it,” Robertson said, via Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. “There were so many people, it was so hard to hear. It was just bad luck. I know it looked scary and I heard the gum went pretty far.
“There is no finger pointing or anything like that. I hope to be back in there in a couple of days.”
Robertson also added that he would approach the play the same way 10 times out of 10. Fortunately, he showed no signs of a concussion after being removed from the game.
GIF via Big League Stew
