In a heart-stopping moment during the San Diego Padres' thrilling 3-2 victory over the Houston Astros, designated hitter Luis Arraez was stretchered off the field and taken to a local hospital after a frightening collision at first base.

The incident occurred early in the game when Arraez was sprinting to first following a sacrifice bunt. He collided forcefully with Astros second baseman Mauricio Dubón, sending both players sprawling to the ground. While Dubón quickly regained his footing, Arraez rolled onto his left shoulder and remained motionless momentarily, raising immediate concern.

As medical personnel rushed to the scene, Dubón and the Padres’ first-base coach evaluated Arraez's condition. Eventually, he was lifted onto a stretcher, but in a reassuring sight, he managed to move his limbs and even gave a thumbs-up as he was wheeled down the right-field line.

After thorough testing, Arraez was deemed stable, conscious, and responsive at the hospital. Remarkably, he was released shortly after and made his way back to the Padres' clubhouse, with plans to stay in Houston for the night. There's hope he may rejoin the team on Monday.

Despite the disruption, the game continued after a 15-minute delay. The Padres secured their hard-fought win, countering a prior 2-2 tie with an impressive solo home run from Fernando Tatis Jr. in the seventh inning, following a scoring error that brought Tatis home in the first.

Replacing Arraez in the lineup, Gavin Sheets contributed with an RBI single that further propelled the Padres’ scoring efforts. With this victory, San Diego avoided a three-game series sweep and now boasts a formidable record of 16-6.

This season, Arraez has been a key player, holding a .287 batting average, with seven RBIs and three notable home runs. Acquired from the Miami Marlins last May, he quickly became a standout performer, leading the National League with 200 hits last season and earning a one-year, $14 million contract in the offseason.

Looking ahead, the Padres are set to conclude their road trip with a three-game showdown against the Detroit Tigers on Monday.