The Tulsa Drillers, the Dodgers’ double-A affiliate team, are suspending their bat dog program for the immediate future, according to a team spokesperson, following a freak injury to outfield prospect Kendall George earlier this week.
George, a former first-round draft pick ranked 13th overall in the Dodgers’ farm system by MLB Pipeline, is feared to have suffered a moderate patellar injury when he leaped out of the way of Tulsa’s bat dog near the dugout during a game on Monday.
While the exact severity of his injury remains unclear, any serious ailment would be a stunning stroke of bad luck for the 21-year-old talent.
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The situation will spell the end, at least for now, of Tulsa’s bat dog program.
Over the last several years, a handful of minor-league baseball teams have started using so-called bat dogs to retrieve discarded bats from home plate between plays. The idea was supposed to be an endearing way to liven up the in-game environment, with the dogs almost playing fetch with the oversized sticks of lumber.
Instead, Tulsa is now shelving the practice after Monday’s freak encounter, which was received with disbelief online as clips of the play went viral.
George was jogging back to the dugout after scoring a run when the Drillers’ dog came charging up the dugout steps and ran straight past him. George jumped awkwardly to the side, then was seen by broadcast cameras grimacing as he hobbled back to the bench. The Drillers were off Tuesday before returning to action on Wednesday –– this time, without George or their bat-collecting canine.