Dodgers first baseman Cody Bellinger was settling into the batter's box of Saturday's first game, having just taken a pitch from Nationals starter Tanner Roark, when he became the star of a ".gif."
"It startled me, because I was there and I was just getting ready to get back into the box," Bellinger said. "It was kind of loud. It was like a 'ping' noise. But it didn't hurt at all."
This season has not been easy for Bellinger. He has been attacked by opposing pitchers with breaking balls in the dirt and elevated fastballs. He has been shifted around in the batting order, and has spent much of the past week playing the outfield, to take advantage of his versatility.