Hoerner: Collision with Happ ‘scariest play’ of career originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
If Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ’s collision looked scary to Cubs fans watching on TV or in Cincinnati on Sunday, that’s because it was.
Hoerner and Happ collided in shallow center field chasing after a pop fly in Sunday’s series finale with the Reds. Happ remained on the ground for several minutes and was taken off the field on a cart.
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Hoerner stayed in the game, but the moment left him in angst.
“I was pretty stressed in the outfield, just not knowing what condition he was in,” he said Tuesday. “Pretty shaken up seeing a friend leave the field like that. It doesn't feel good at all.
“When I could go back to the locker room and see him and he was in good spirits and stuff, that definitely made me feel good. That’s probably the scariest baseball play I've been a part of.”
Happ took a blow in the midsection from Hoerner and is dealing with bruised ribs, manager David Ross said Tuesday. But he has passed the club’s concussion testing and remains active.
Hoerner hit the 10-day injured list Tuesday with a left forearm strain sustained in the collision, but he knows things could have been worse.
“All things considered, [we’re] both pretty fortunate where we're at, especially for his head to be in good shape after something like that was kind of the biggest concern for everyone, I think,” Hoerner said.
Hoerner’s IL stint is retroactive to May 3, and he expects to be back for next weekend’s series against the Tigers.
“Glad he's in a good spot,” he said of Happ. “He's going to be just fine. We both are.”
