Cubs' Baez collides with Heyward year after Schwarber injury
MILWAUKEE (AP) Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Baez left a game Friday night with a left eye contusion after colliding with outfielder Jason Heyward on the anniversary of Kyle Schwarber's major knee injury.
The left side of Baez's head appeared to hit Heyward's elbow as both sprinted after a pop fly by Milwaukee's Hernan Perez in the sixth inning.
Baez stayed on the grass face down for a couple seconds with Heyward kneeling beside him before raising his head and giving a thumbs-up sign.
Baez had a welt around his left eye as he walked off the field accompanied by manager Joe Maddon. Ben Zobrist moved from right field to replace Baez at second, and Jon Jay entered into the outfield.
''It looked like (the eye) was going to start swelling. He said he was all right, but I didn't feel good about it,'' Maddon said after the Cubs lost 2-1 in 11 innings. ''He insisted he was good, but I wasn't convinced. I'm certain he'll be fine by tomorrow. But I wasn't feeling really strongly about it at that moment.''
Baez was not in the concussion protocol, the Cubs said.
This collision came a year after Schwarber ran into Dexter Fowler in the outfield in Arizona and tore two ligaments in his left knee. Schwarber had surgery and sat out until the World Series, when he returned and hit .412 to help the Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in seven games.
''Stop. I'm just saying,'' Heyward said when a reporter brought up the anniversary. ''He said he was OK. Hopefully, he's OK tomorrow.''
Heyward pointed to eye black on his forearm and knee, smudges that may have come from the collision with Baez.
''We didn't slide like expected to. It was like a big divot,'' Heyward said. ''If we could have slid more, it might have helped.''
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