"The whole dugout was really in shock" after seeing Josh Naylor break his ankle in a collision with teammate Ernie Clement Sunday, says Cleveland Indians catcher Rene Rivera. The 225-pound right fielder slammed into second baseman Clement as they chased a popup in the fourth inning of the Minneapolis game, Cleveland.com reports. In a moment that horrified players, fans, and sportscasters alike, Naylor spun around in the air and twisted his foot the wrong way as he fell. Naylor, who was seen writhing in agony, was stretchered off the field and hospitalized. The team says the 24-year-old is being treated for a "closed" fracture and dislocation of his right ankle.
The team says Naylor will need surgery and it's not clear when he'll be able to play again."To be honest, it was really, really hard,” Rivera tells the AP. "The way he reacted, it was heartbreaking, man. It’s hard. A guy like him, nice guy in the clubhouse, really a lot of energy, positivity and to see him go through that was really tough." Indians manager Terry Francona says the collision happened after Naylor apparently failed to communicate with the second baseman. Clement, who was playing his seventh game in the majors, "felt terrible and it wasn’t his fault, but he felt terrible," Francona says. "He’s a great kid." Play resumed after a 12-minute delay and the Indians went on to lose to the Minnesota Twins 8-2. (More baseball stories.)
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