The Dodgers’ bat boy made an incredible catch during a recent game, and his actions have everyone singing his praises.
Javier Herrera made a shocking bare-handed catch that might have saved the team’s Shohei Ohtani from getting hurt, the Los Angeles Times reported Thursday.
The newspaper said the incident appears to have happened on Wednesday when the Dodgers were playing the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois. By the way, the Dodgers made a 4-0 win.
When he made the incredible catch, Herrera was standing on the dugout steps and Ohtani was standing just behind him. A foul ball zoomed straight at them. However, Herrera did something no one expected and saved the day in the nick of time.
When he sees it coming at him, Herrera grabs the ball just before it tries to fly over his shoulder. It appears Ohtani jumps back to avoid getting hit. However, he had nothing to worry about because Herrera’s instincts kicked in:
Dodgers bat boy saves $700 Milliom star player Shohei Ohtani with incredible bare-handed catch 🙏 pic.twitter.com/PpfPfmyPfY
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) June 27, 2024
Social media users shared their thoughts on the incident, one person writing, “Everyones first reaction was running or getting down but bro stood his ground. RESPECT.”
“I can’t stop watching this. the aura, the casualness, he deserves more recognition than ‘bat boy,'” another person commented.
More video footage shows the moment the foul ball was hit into the dugout:
Foul ball from Enrique Hernandez, snagged by Dodgers Bat Boy, Javier Herrera (see below), protecting Shohei Ohtani. https://t.co/Vg4hSf5buZ pic.twitter.com/iEtygx7ARH
— Tony Wuench (@twuench) June 27, 2024
“If the Dodgers end up winning the Wold Series this year, batboy Javier Herrera better get a ring. And a tribute video. And a raise. And a bonus. And everything else,” KSL said in a social media post following the incident that has internet users enthralled:
If the Dodgers end up winning the Wold Series this year, batboy Javier Herrera better get a ring. And a tribute video. And a raise. And a bonus. And everything else. https://t.co/pWDKWSPMzc
— KSL (@KSLcom) June 28, 2024
Herrera is 38 years old and has been a Dodgers bat boy for the past 20 years, the Times article noted. The newspaper then said, “After taking a brief look in Ohtani’s direction, Herrera casually handed the ball to someone.”