Pham offers to fight Voit after slide injures catcher

Cincinnati Reds DH/OF Tommy Pham (28) reacts after hitting a double as San Diego Padres second baseman hitter Jake Cronenworth (right) looks on. Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Tommy Pham offers to fight Luke Voit after slide injures catcher

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 4/20/22

The Cincinnati Reds are very unhappy with Luke Voit, and Tommy Pham wants to settle the score with a fight.

Voit became public enemy No.1 on Tuesday night when he collided hard at home plate with Tyler Stephenson and left the Reds catcher with a concussion. Umpires decided it wasn't a dirty slide, even though the play left Stephenson lying on the ground and led to him leaving the game.

After the game, Pham told the media he will fight Voit to defend his teammate.

Was Luke Voit’s slide dirty?

@JomboyMedia pic.twitter.com/zjHmYZLiCS
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 20, 2022

Pham wasn't Stephenson's only teammate to take issue with the play. Reds shortstop Kyle Farmer didn't challenge Voit to a duel but certainly didn't like how the slide looked from his vantage point in the infield.

"Not too often you see a runner slide and grab someone's head and slam it to the ground like that," Farmer said. "You're usually trying to reach for the bag. Maybe that's what he was trying to do. After looking at the replay, it looked like a wrestling move to Tyler's head and snapped it down."

“It looked like a wrestling move to Tyler’s head.” -Kyle Farmer on Luke Voit’s slide pic.twitter.com/cfrRLctpNi
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 20, 2022

Voit said after the game he wasn't trying to hurt Stephenson.

"I wasn’t trying to take him out or anything," he told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I guess my elbow kind of just smoked his head a little bit. I hope he’s all right. I mean, it ended up being a good throw, and the ball kind of took him in, and I tried to go around him."

Whether Stephenson's teammates believe Voit is a whole other story, which could make for some very interesting viewing when the Reds and Padres close out their series on Wednesday.

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