Nolan Arenado had baseball fans thinking that they were on a safari over the weekend.
The Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Arenado was forced to exit Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Braves early. Fellow infielder Ildemaro Vargas replaced Arenado at third during the bottom of the fourth inning at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga.
Shortly after Arenado’s departure, the Dbacks issued an official diagnosis for him. Arenado, they said, was removed due to “left trunk discomfort.”
That unusual-sounding ailment led to the jokes flying over social media. Many users quickly dropped elephant- and tree-themed jokes on X.
Tough injury for a tree https://t.co/EgXsq8Jn1m
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) August 16, 2026
https://t.co/ZcHSBXcI8K pic.twitter.com/spciOiINvV
— Carter Fogarty (@carterfogarty24) August 16, 2026
Bro we got an elephant playing baseball that’s wild https://t.co/h0JHris4Is
— not bob kozlowski (@notbobkoz) August 16, 2026
Ok https://t.co/aWKvMcz0ON pic.twitter.com/V5nTVBoo2E
— Jonathan (@NYSports29) August 16, 2026
The trunk discomfort was probably no laughing matter though for Arenado. That term refers to a wide variety of potential issues in the torso and core muscles, so Arenado was not exactly taking a day off to go play Dumbo.
Arizona would go on to lose to Atlanta by a final score of 5-3. The eight-time All-Star Arenado, 35, is batting .243 with 20 home runs and 63 RBIs this season but continues to be one of the most memeable figures in all of Major League Baseball.
