Max Muncy, Ildemaro Vargas both OK after nasty collision in Dodgers-Diamondbacks game

PHOENIX — Arizona Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson stood in front of his locker Thursday night, his eyes glazed and his voice shaken.

He just pitched one of his finest games of the season Thursday in the Diamondbacks’ 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers, but all he could think of was that fifth inning play, where he stood on the mound instead of covering first base, witnessing one of the nastiest collisions he has seen on a baseball field.

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy and Diamondbacks first baseman Ildemaro Vargas collided head-first at first base, leaving both players on the ground in pain for nearly five minutes, forcing each to leave the game.

“It felt like I was hit by a truck,’’ Vargas said. “My whole body hurts.’’

Muncy: “It was a big collision. I lost my breath."

Almost miraculously, neither were seriously hurt.

Muncy, who had the wind knocked out of him, had a cut on the bridge of his nose, but passed the concussion protocols. He will still miss Friday’s game against the Angels but is scheduled to return to the starting lineup Saturday.

Vargas, who hobbled off the field, had a bruised rib cage and a bruised left thigh, but there was no other damage, and he’s expected to return this weekend, too.

“Honestly, that was my biggest worry was to make sure he was going to be OK,’’ Nelson said, “and that he wasn’t going to be hurt too bad. Because I had the front row seat for it. It was nasty. Not good.’’

The collision happened when Muncy hit a ground ball up the line past the first-base bag, which was snared by Vargas. Muncy, who noticed that Nelson didn’t run over to cover, hustled to first base. Vargas tried to beat Muncy to the bag. Muncy, running full-speed, reached the base just a split-second before Vargas, and the two crashed into one another.

“I just think it was two athletes that once they got past the point of no return,’’ Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told USA TODAY, “they were going to fly. And at some point they were going to collide. It was awesome for 'NFL (Films) Presents,' you know what I mean?"

The two immediately collapsed to the ground, with Muncy’s helmet and glasses flying off his head, and blood running down his nose, and Vargas clutching his left knee.

“As I moved down the line, I saw him in foul territory,’’ Muncy said, “so I got to the inside of the bag. And I thought he was going to stay on that (foul) side. Obviously, I was wrong.

“And then we both went the wrong direction, and bang. It was just a bad situation that looked like neither of us knew which direction to go.’’

They remained on the ground for nearly five minutes assisted by trainers when Vargas got up first, gingerly hobbling off the field. He was replaced by Pavin Smith. Muncy got up next, and headed to the dugout, and was replaced by Santiago Espinal.

And Nelson stood on the mound feeling miserable, believing that the entire incident was his fault, for not running over to cover first base.

“I failed to do my job in a big spot,’’ Nelson said, “which ended up with Vargy getting taken out of the game. So I’m pretty disappointed in myself for that. …

“Watching a teammate and a friend get taken out of the game like that was very disappointing, and knowing that I could have done something to make that not happen doesn’t feel good.’’

Nelson retired the first 12 batters he faced, and wound up giving up just five hits and two runs in seven innings, but any satisfaction was stripped away because of the collision.

“Honestly, that was my biggest worry, was that (Vargas) was going to be OK,’’ Nelson said. “It all could have been avoided by me just covering first base.’’

Muncy, whose biggest concern was that Vargas would be OK, left a text message to Vargas, and sent a gift over to him at the D-backs clubhouse. He was thrilled to find out Vargas was OK. This is the best season of Vargas’ 10-year career, and Muncy didn’t want to see anything disrupt it.

Vargas appreciated the gesture, and neither player blamed one another, although Lovullo acknowledged that an experienced first baseman likely would have slid to first base to avoid the collision. This is the first time Vargas has played more than 12 games in any season at first base.

“I think an active and accomplished first baseman, somebody like Freddie Freeman,’’ Lovullo said, “would slide feet first and give way to the runner who’s probably going to be standing up. Runners are taught not to slide into (first) head-first. So, I think there’s a way to do it, go get to the bag just as fast and use it as if you’re sliding into second base on a double. So, that would have been the play to avoid the situation.

“And I’m thinking Max probably thought that Vargas was going to slide, and then it’s that point of no return, where they just couldn’t get out of the way of each other.’’

Vargas says simple competitiveness between the two rivals was as much to blame as anything.

“It’s a hard play,’’ Vargas said. “It’s a reaction play. There was a double play earlier. With a team like that, you’re trying to do all of the little things. I was just trying to make the play, and it’s just kind of what happened.’’

The two players likely will wake up sore in the morning, but at least there are no broken bones, no concussions, and just a painful memory.

“Thank God,’’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

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