ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Jonathan Lucroy can’t remember what happened after he reached out to catch the throw at the plate in Houston last week.
The Los Angeles Angels catcher is recovering from the third diagnosed concussion of his baseball career after that nasty collision with the Astros’ Jake Marisnick.
Lucroy isn’t sure when he’ll be ready to return to action, but he is grateful his injuries weren’t even more serious.
“The last thing I remember is inching up the line and waiting for the baseball,” Lucroy said Friday. “The first thing I remember after that is they put me on the golf cart. He knocked me out.”
Lucroy also got a broken nose and a black eye in the collision, and he was placed on the seven-day concussion list Friday. Marisnick received a two-game suspension for the dangerous play.
Despite his latest concussion and his more visible injuries, Lucroy was remarkably upbeat about his prospects before the Angels’ first game back from the All-Star break. Lucroy, a 10-year major league veteran and two-time All-Star in his first season with the Angels, said he felt better now than he did at the same point after his two previous concussions.
“I’m doing pretty good, considering,” Lucroy said. “The way I feel, I don’t think I’ll be out too long.”
He was cautious in his criticism of Marisnick, who texted him shortly after the collision to express regret and to inquire about the catcher’s health. Marisnick was attempting to score from third on a fly ball in the eighth inning of a 10-10 game last Sunday.
“In a situation like that, there are split-second decisions that have to be made,” Lucroy said. “I don’t think he was trying to hurt anybody. However, I did give him the whole lane, the whole foul territory, to slide.”
Marisnick is appealing his suspension.
The Angels activated catcher Kevan Smith off the injured list before their series opener against Seattle. Dustin Garneau was their starting catcher Friday against the Mariners.
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