Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz and Seattle Mariners reliever Trent Thornton suffered health issues on Saturday due to the high temperatures that hit much of the United States. De La Cruz vomited on the field during the extra-inning loss for Cincinnati against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was attended to by a trainer, and the cleaning staff took care of the area.
Despite the incident, De La Cruz, 23 years old and from the Dominican Republic, remained in the game and hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning. Thornton pitched 2⅔ innings without allowing runs for Seattle before leaving the game in the eighth, in the 10-7 loss against the Chicago Cubs. The 31-year-old right-handed pitcher had to be helped off the field.“I saw it. He drank a lot of water, a whole lot,” said Reds manager Terry Francona, “and then he went out and threw it up.”
Terry Francona, Reds Manager
The temperature during the Reds game against the Cardinals was 92 degrees, and 94 degrees for the start of the Mariners game against the Cubs. The Milwaukee game in Minnesota was played under an excessive heat warning. Seattle and Chicago finished their game with three umpires after Chad Whitson felt ill. Dexter Kelley moved from second base to home. Whitson was attended to in the Mariners’ dugout.“He had a bit of heat-related issues,” said Mariners manager Dan Wilson.
Dan Wilson, Mariners Manager
Whitson was dealing with some dehydration, but a Major League spokesman said he was better on Saturday night and had been cleared to work at third base for the end of the series. A Wrigley Field staff member had a heat-related medical issue right after Saturday’s game, according to a Cubs spokesperson. They were attended to by medical personnel and left the field on their own. The Cubs installed cooling and misting stations throughout Wrigley to help fans with the heat on Saturday, along with additional emergency personnel. The team had similar plans for Sunday, along with the incorporation of a city bus to use as a cooling station on the street.“He came in, the same. He just didn’t feel right,” Wilson said. “He threw up a few times in the dugout and then he was attended to. The heat was real today, for sure.”
Dan Wilson, Mariners Manager
