MILWAUKEE -- One day after ending up in the hospital following a daring running catch and crashing into the center-field fence at American Family Field, Reds outfielder Dane Myers rejoined his teammates in the visitors’ clubhouse prior to Tuesday’s game against the Brewers.
Myers came to the stark realization that the scary situation could have turned out much more severe.
“I’m here. It could have been a lot worse. Definitely blessed,” Myers said.
Beyond the left shoulder contusion that landed him on the 10-day injured list, Myers said he’s dealing with a “few minor things,” but he is mostly focused on pain tolerance.
“No fractures. Nothing serious. That’s a good thing,” he said. “I was concerned most about my ribs.”
Myers recalled tracking the ball as he got near the center-field warning track.
“I think this warning track is a little bit bigger than the league average and I’m used to knowing my steps out there,” Myers said.
“My shoulder got the worst of it,” he added. “The scare was getting the breath knocked out of me and the rib pain that I had initially. All that’s good. It’s sore, but nothing major. Just going into the wall at that speed, it should have been a lot worse. I’m blessed it wasn’t.”
Myers said he watched a video of the play, but only after he received what he deemed was good news about his health.
“I was proud that I was able to make the play,” he said.
Myers said he’s unsure when he’ll be able to return to any type of on-field baseball activity.
“Hopefully soon,” he said.
Reds manager Terry Francona sounded more cautious in his assessment.
“I don’t think anybody has any idea about a timetable or anything like that,” Francona said. “He dodged a few things there. It was almost like he was in a car accident. But he doesn’t have a concussion.”
Francona said the team expected a more dire assessment of Myers’ condition.
“We were prepared for something really ...,” he said, his voice trailing off. “I think he got pretty fortunate.”
Myers’ spot on the roster was filled by infielder Ivan Johnson, who earned his first promotion to the Majors after seven seasons in the Minors.
Johnson was at home watching television with his wife on Monday night, when he got a call from Triple-A Louisville manager Pat Kelly, who informed Johnson that he’d be headed to Milwaukee to join the Reds.
“It was just a dream come true. A lot of emotions. A lot of people to call,” Johnson said.
The 27-year-old utility player was in the midst of a strong season at Louisville, slashing .290/.388/.489 with nine home runs, 28 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.
Johnson offered this assessment as to what he’s done this season at Triple-A to earn himself a long-awaited promotion.
“A lot of things that I feel like I’ve always had the potential to do and kind of putting it all out there and enjoying the game and to put too much pressure on myself,” he said.
Johnson’s wife, two young daughters and his agent were in the stands for Tuesday night’s game. Johnson is expected to be available to play infield and outfield positions.
The promotion has even more meaning, Johnson said, considering he was assigned to the development list to start the season.
“It’s just kind of ironic that those two [Pat Kelly] phone calls changed throughout the year,” he said. “Obviously, starting that way was kind of a heartbreak for myself. But there were so many people who got me through that tough time. My faith came in huge at that point and allowed me to keep going.”
Johnson played for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic. That experience, he believes, helped pave the way for some of the success he’s experienced this season.
“It allowed me to be on the stage and gave me a lot of confidence,” Johnson said.