Watch: Fernando Tatis Jr. and Nick Fortes have a scary collision near the home plateĀ
Miami Marlins catcher Nick Fortes luckily escaped a potentially disastrous collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. during Monday's encounter against the San Diego Padres.
While the Marlins went on to fall to a disappointing 6-2 defeat on the night, things could have been much worse for them if their catcher was injured early in the game.
In the first inning itself, Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. collided with Fortes on home plate and almost left both of them seriously injured.
Nick Fortes was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 2018 MLB Draft and slowly made his way up the minor leagues to make his major league debut for them in September 2021.
He finished the season with four home runs and seven RBIs in 14 games and has been a reliable player for them since. Fortes has played 87 games this season, with a decent .216 average and a reliable defensive consistency to cement his place in the team.
However, he was almost left knocked out cold on Monday when Fernando Tatis Jr. collided with him at the plate. The Padres challenged the call while the Marlins catcher received medical attention due to the collision. The umpire later gave the out to the catcher.
Nick Fortes continues as Ha-Seong Kim's grand slam takes the Padres over the line
San Diego Padres infielder Ha-Seong Kim recorded his first grand slam in the MLB since joining the team in 2021. Playing second baseman on the night, the Korean utility player had a night to remember as he helped his team to victory over the Miami Marlins.
The Marlins are currently third in their division and need to pick up their game over the next two games if they want to get anything out of the series.