A New York Mets minor leaguer made the news again this weekend. But this time it wasn’t Tim Tebow, and this time it was for a much more bizarre reason.
Logan Taylor, a relief pitcher for the Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas 51s, was attacked by a homeless man Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
The homeless man approached Taylor carrying a tire iron and a sock full of rocks and demanded the pitcher’s wallet before hitting him over the head with a tire iron, per Salt Lake City police Detective Greg Wilking. Taylor sustained a concussion and was taken to the hospital, where he received “six or seven” staples in his head, according to 51s manager Pedro Lopez.
Taylor was healthy enough to be with the team for its game Monday but was placed on the club’s disabled list. Meanwhile, his attacker — 33-year-old Salt Lake City resident Joshua Cruz — was apprehended by police Saturday while fleeing the scene of the incident and later arrested.
“There were a couple guys that saw it: Â (Taylor’s 51s teammates) Dom (Smith) and (Kevin) McGowan,” Lopez said, via the Review-Journal. “They tried to go after the guy when they realized it was Logan, but (the police) ended up catching the guy later on.”
The Mets said in a statement they’re aware of the attack but can’t comment further. The 25-year-old Taylor owns a 3.96 ERA in 20 appearances for Las Vegas this season.
Thumbnail photo via Brett Davis/USA TODAY Sports Images
