Saturday’s blistering heat didn’t just leave fans sweating, it brought two MLB players to the brink of medical emergencies in front of stunned stadiums.
Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz and Seattle Mariners reliever Trent Thornton both struggled to stay on their feet as temperatures soared into the 90s across multiple cities.
De La Cruz, just 23, vomited in plain view during the fourth inning of the Reds’ matchup against the Cardinals in St. Louis. Thornton, pitching in Chicago for the Mariners, needed assistance to return to the dugout after showing visible signs of heat stress.
Heat Takes Its Toll
At Busch Stadium, the thermometer read 92 degrees when De La Cruz suddenly hunched over and vomited near third base. Trainers rushed out as concern swept through the dugout. But with great determination, De La Cruz returned to the game and later launched a two-run homer in the seventh inning.
Reds manager Terry Francona offered a glimpse into the moment. “I actually watched him,” Francona told reporters after the game. “He drank a bunch of water. I mean a bunch… and then he went right out and got rid of it.”
The intense heat caused more than just De La Cruz’s gritty moment; it triggered another scare earlier in the day. Just hours earlier in Chicago, Trent Thornton of the Mariners appeared disoriented during a steamy afternoon game against the Cubs. With the first-pitch temperature hitting 94 degrees, Thornton needed help off the mound after showing signs of exhaustion and heat illness.
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“It was a scary moment for sure,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said postgame. “He battled hard. Just really glad he’s feeling a little bit better now and should be OK.”
While both players managed to avoid hospitalization, the incidents highlight a growing concern as record-high temperatures sweep across the country. In Minneapolis, officials played the Brewers-Twins game under an official “excessive heat warning.” And conditions are only expected to intensify. Forecasts show New York City may hit 100 degrees by Tuesday when the Mets host the Braves at Citi Field.
The league hasn’t announced any additional precautions, but climbing heat indexes are clearly pushing players and teams to their physical limits.
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