SAN DIEGO — Chicago Cubs shortstop Nico Hoerner came out of Wednesday’s series finale against the Padres with a sprained right ankle an inning after colliding with second base umpire Dan Iassogna in center field.
Hoerner was on the ground in pain after the collision in the first inning and was tended to by a trainer. He stayed in, batted in the second inning and struck out. Hoerner was replaced in the bottom half of the inning by Ildemaro Vargas.
Hoerner had X-rays, which were negative. He is listed as day-to-day.
Hoerner was running out to take the throw from Jason Heyward after Jurickson Profar hit a flyball over the center fielder’s head for a triple.
Iassogna, the crew chief, stayed in the game.
Both men said the Cubs being in a shift led to the collision.
“In the shift, sometimes you’re in different places than people are used to sometimes,” Hoerner said. “I was watching the ball just like the umpire was and I was on the ground before I really realized what happened. We were both just doing our jobs and weird things happen sometimes.”
Iassogna said was running into the outfield, ready to make a call on any potential play, “and I never saw him. I don’t believe he saw me. There was definitely a collision. I know he said that he got his feet caught up in mine and went down.”
Asked how tricky those plays are with infielders shifting into the shallow outfield, Iassogna said: “Apparently it’s very tricky.”
He said he’s still trying to do his job the same way. “I’m seeing the ball and trying to pick up the fielder. When I made my initial look, I didn’t see anybody. I thought I had an open road and then we backed into each other. It’s too bad that it happened.”
Iassogna said he checked with manager David Ross during the game on Hoerner’s condition, and then checked with the shortstop afterward.
“I know Dan feels terrible,” Ross said. “He was checking on him here after the game. It was just one of those fluke things. I think Nico’s going to be all right. We’ll see maybe in a couple of days.”
