Marlins’ Jon Berti diagnosed with concussion after hit by pitch in loss to Padres
.JPG "Miami Marlins’ Jon Berti (5) is led off the field after being hit by a pitch by San Diego Padres reliever Austin Adams during the seventh inning of a baseball game Thursday, July 22, 2021, in Miami. The Padres won 3-2. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)")
Super-utility player Jon Berti was diagnosed with a concussion after being hit by a pitch in the seventh inning of the Miami Marlins’ 3-2 loss to the San Diego Padres on Thursday at loanDepot park.
With a 1-1 count and a runner on second with no outs, Berti tried to turn away as an 85.2 mph slider from Padres right-handed pitcher Austin Adams crept inside.
The pitch caught just under Berti’s helmet and he dropped to the ground briefly before crouching up on one knee as assistant athletic trainer Brad LaRosa and manager Don Mattingly came out to check on him.
“Any time you see someone go down like that,” Marlins infielder Joe Panik said, “it’s never an easy thing.”
LaRosa pressed a towel on the back of Berti’s head as a small amount of blood dripped out.
Berti walked off the field under his own power after a few minutes. He required three stitches for the laceration.
“It was great to see him get up and walk off, that’s for sure, but the news is not great,” Mattingly said. “Originally I thought it hit him in the back and then when we got out there, he said it hit him right under the helmet. You can see there was kind of a horseshoe shape to the little ring. It was good to see him get up. I was hoping he didn’t have a concussion. That wasn’t great.”
Berti has been a mainstay on the Marlins’ roster ever since they called him up to the big leagues in April 2019 because of his defensive versatility. The 31-year-old has played second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions over his three seasons with Miami.
His defensive flexibility has allowed the Marlins at times this year to play with a shorter-than-preferred bench and has helped the Marlins plug holes in the field that were caused by injuries.
The biggest example: Berti has primarily played third base this year, making 41 of his 63 starts at the hot corner. This is a result of Brian Anderson’s two injured list stints, including his current stay on the 60-day IL due to a left shoulder subluxation.
“It’s tough to replace that because he kind of serves as a guy that can ... obviously we’ve been playing with a little bit short bench here for a couple of days,” Mattingly said, “but he kind of stretches you where you can go different directions at different spots with [double switches] to push your pitcher further away. It’s a little harder to do that when you don’t have that kind of guy. If you have a guy just plays outfield or just plays infield. But Bert allows you to stretch the field a little bit. We’re going to miss that.”
Berti’s injury is the latest hit to the Marlins’ roster since they returned to the field after the All-Star Break. In a span of seven days, Miami has placed four players on the injured list: Outfielder Jesus Sanchez (COVID-19 related), pitcher Pablo Lopez (right rotator cuff strain), middle infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (left shoulder contusion) and first baseman/right fielder Garrett Cooper (left elbow strain).
Berti will be the fifth.
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