The Minnesota Twins came inches away from a devastating accident unfolding in their on-deck circle.
During Sunday’s game against the Chicago White Sox, outfielder Gilberto Celestino took a practice swing before his turn at the plate. He apparently didn’t notice teammate Gary Sanchez walking right by him.
Had Celestino started his swing a fraction of a second later, his bat might have struck Sanchez in the face. The catcher luckily avoided any contact.
Next time, Sanchez will probably think twice about walking in front of a player with a bat. Celestino, meanwhile, will hopefully check his surroundings before taking a hack.
Despite the scary close call, the Twins ended the week on a high note. They earned a 5-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox to gain sole possession of second place in the American League Central. They can finish the day in a first-place tie if the Cleveland Guardians lose to the Seattle Mariners.
Minnesota will host a huge three-game series against Cleveland starting Friday and play five road games against the Guardians the following week. Those matchups could go a long way toward determining the division winner.