Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Juan Mejia (47) lays on the ground after securing the final out as first baseman Warming Bernabel (25) and second baseman Ryan Ritter (8) react in the ninth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Rockies pitcher smashes into his teammate while chasing a popup

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 7:55 PM ET

Colorado Rockies pitcher Juan Mejia was desperate to close out his first career save on Sunday. So desperate, in fact, that he slammed into one of his teammates while trying to catch the final out.

Mejia got Arizona’s Ketel Marte to hit an infield popup with two on and two out in the ninth inning of Sunday’s game at Coors Field in Denver. Typically, pitchers defer to their infielders on such plays, but Marte’s popup wasn’t particularly high in the air, and Mejia decided to pursue it himself.

Rockies first baseman Warming Bernabel was also pursuing the ball, but Mejia would not be denied. He made the catch while simultaneously colliding with Bernabel, securing Colorado’s 6-5 win.

Juan Mejia finished off his first career save with one of the wildest plays you'll see a pitcher make pic.twitter.com/es6q2auV4V
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 17, 2025

Mejia was shaken up for a moment, but eventually got to his feet after hanging onto the ball. He had a bit of a sheepish grin on his face as he did.

A 25-year-old rookie, Mejia had appeared in 38 games this season entering play Sunday, posting a 4.09 ERA. This was his first career save at the MLB level, and whether he knew that or not, he really wanted the out.

Any collision on a baseball field can be scary and lead to serious injury. For the sake of both Mejia and Bernabel, it’s a good thing this ball was on the infield and neither of them had to really break into a full sprint to get to it.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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