Tampa Bay's Sean Rodriguez stung by actual stingray

In what is believed to be the second-ever case of a professional athlete being attacked by the real-life version of his own mascot (we all wish a speedy recovery for Willis McGahee, who was viciously pecked by ravens last month), the St. Petersburg Times reports that Tampa Bay second baseman Sean Rodriguez was stung by an actual stingray while at the beach near his home in Redington Beach on Monday.

Rodriguez was on the beach Monday morning behind his rental condo when he took his 2-year-old daughter, Sofia, a couple of feet into the water for a closer look at some dolphins.

Bad idea.

Fortunately, Rodriguez travels nowhere without his shortstop. Jason Bartlett and his 1-year-old son Jaden were also on the beach, and Bartlett called 911.

“He heard me screaming and he goes, ‘What got you?’ and I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know,’ ” Rodriguez said. “I was coming out of the water and there was just straight blood shooting out, like a straight line.”

Aside from the scary-looking trail of blood he left on the beach, Rodriguez, 25, said he was fine and with some padding able to put on his spikes and play. He wound up being needed, replacing Carl Crawford when he was ejected in the fifth.

Zack Follett is rethinking his life about now.
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Tampa Bay Rays’ Sean Rodriguez okay after encounter with stingray [St. Petersburg Times]