From head to toe, mask to mitt, Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz armored himself in catcher’s gear before sitting in the dugout minutes before the first pitch of Wednesday’s game.
Although his teammates laughed, this was more than a joke.
This was protection.
Two days after a foul ball bruised the area around his right eye and a day after getting hit by a carom in the dugout, Diaz took precaution. He found a spot beside backup catcher Brayan Pena and sat down wearing a mask, chest pad, and knee guards. Diaz even had a mitt on his hand.