Former Brewer suing the Cincinnati Reds for career-ending injury

They say if you follow baseball, you'll see something new every day. Here's one for you: a former player suing an opposing team for unsafe field conditions that led to a career-ending injury.

On June 2, 2023, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Darin Ruf glided into foul territory at Great American Ball Park hunting a foul pop fly off the bat of Cincinnati Reds' infielder Kevin Newman. Before Ruf could haul it in, he collided with the rolled-up tarp that sits on the field of play along the wall on the first base side. Immediately, fans could tell that Ruf had sustained a serious injury. He limped off the field with his right knee covered in blood.

The Brewers initially placed Ruf on the 10-day IL with a right knee laceration. However, just two days later, Ruf was transferred to the 60-day IL when it became known that he had fractured his right patella. Ruf, who was 36 at the time of the injury, never played another MLB game and has since retired from the sport. Now, nearly two years later, he's seeking justice for the negligence displayed at Great American Ball Park that led to his tragic injury.

Darin Ruf suing the Cincinnati Reds for unsafe field conditions

As noted in an article from the Associated Press published on Thursday afternoon, Ruf is filing his lawsuit with the Hamilton County (Ohio) Court of Common Pleas and claiming that the metal rod projecting from the tarp should have been covered in protective padding. Ruf's lawsuit claims that the instance of unsafe playing conditions led to “permanent and substantial deformities to his knee.”

Who knows how the courts will rule in such a case as there is practically no existing precedent in an instance of field-induced injuries? If Ruf does end up being victorious, imagine the slippery slope that could result. Imagine Aaron Rodgers suing the New York Jets for the artificial turf at MetLife Stadium that supposedly led to his 2023 Achilles tear. Talks of lawsuits have previously arisen surrounding the link between artificial turf and an increased risk of cancer.

Maybe teams should be held accountable for the effects that their specific field conditions have on players. Or maybe players assume a certain level of risk by entering the field of play in the first place. However this case plays out, it could have a serious impact on the future of safety in sports and the responsibility that teams have in upholding that safety.