LOS ANGELES — You’ll probably never know what it feels like to run full speed into a railing, chasing after a foul ball.
But if you tuned in to the second inning of the Padres’ 3-2 loss to the Dodgers on Friday night, you got a pretty good idea — courtesy of Freddy Fermin and some up-close camera work.
Spoiler: Looks like it hurts.
Fermin ran into the railing just in front of the first-base-line camera well chasing after an Andy Pages foul ball. As he attempted to make the play, the Padres catcher collided with the padded railing at full speed, and the ball popped free.
Fermin remained on the ground for several moments. And — because of the location of the play — viewers were treated to an up-close-and-personal look at the play and its aftermath.
The Padres backstop rested his head on the railing, trying to catch his breath, before team trainer Mark Rogow emerged to check on him. All of this unfolded within a couple feet of the camera. As he reached into foul ground, Fermin’s right shin pad actually made contact with another camera.
Eventually Fermin retreated into the grassy area in foul territory as he was assessed by the training staff. He remained in the game, and Pages later struck out. An inning later, Fermin nailed Shohei Ohtani attempting to steal second base.
Fermin entered play Friday hitting .355/.394/.484 since he was traded from Kansas City to San Diego at the Deadline — a significant upgrade on the Padres’ catching situation.
