Major League Baseball chief baseball officer Joe Torre is reviewing the home-plate collision that knocked Padres catcher Austin Hedges out of Monday night's 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs, a source said Tuesday.
The league has deemed that Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo violated Rule 6.01(i), which is designed to prevent injuries caused by such collisions. Torre will decide if discipline against Rizzo is appropriate. However, MLB has not suspended a player for a violation of the collision rule since it was implemented before the 2014 season.
In the bottom of the sixth inning Monday, Rizzo slammed into Hedges as the catcher applied a tag. Home-plate umpire Jeff Nelson did not invoke Rule 6.01(i), as Hedges had held on to the ball and Rizzo was declared out.
Hedges, who was slow to get up, exited in the middle of the seventh with a right thigh bruise. After the game, Padres manager Andy Green hinted that MLB should consider a suspension of Rizzo.
"It's a fairly egregious violation of the rule," Green said. "The rule exists to protect that catcher. The safety of the catcher is more in jeopardy now when you have the rule to protect you, because you are not expecting to get hit. You've got to think like that. I think it's a cheap shot. I'm not saying (Rizzo is) a dirty player at all. No one is saying that. He clearly deviated from his path to hit our catcher and took our catcher out.
"When Austin Hedges' health is put in jeopardy because someone took a shot at him when he's not expecting it at all, that's a problem. That's something where baseball needs to consider how you handle situations like this after it occurs. Because if there's some sort of penalty now, then people think twice about it."
Hedges is expected to avoid the disabled list but will not start Tuesday's game.
"I thought I gave (Rizzo) the plate," Hedges said late Monday. " ... That was the rule. If you give them the plate, they're supposed to slide."
Rule 6.01(i) (originally, Rule 7.13) reads in part: "A runner attempting to score may not deviate from his direct pathway to the plate in order to initiate contact with the catcher (or other player covering home plate), or otherwise initiate an avoidable collision."
Additionally: "A slide shall be deemed appropriate, in the case of a feet first slide, if the runner's buttocks and legs should hit the ground before contact with the catcher."
In a rare sight, Rizzo approached the plate while running inside the third-base line. He then appeared to make contact with Hedges before his buttocks and legs hit the ground.
After the game, the Cubs defended their first baseman's actions.
"I don't, by no means, think that's a dirty play at all," Rizzo said. "I went pretty much straight in, he caught the ball and he went towards the plate.
"I've talked to a lot of umpires about this rule. My understanding is, if they have the ball, it's game on."
Cubs manager Joe Maddon said: "Absolutely love it. That's part of the game. If the catcher's in the way, you hit him. Very simple."
