Dodgers top prospect avoids injury after nasty OF collision in World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic kicked off on March 7 at 11 p.m. ET when the Netherlands battled Cuba, and the action leaked into the early morning of March 8, with Panama and Chinese Taipei facing off in the second game between Pool A opponents.

There are a number of Los Angeles Dodgers players in action for this year's event. Top prospect Jose Ramos was the first to take the field for Team Panama. The centerfielder batted cleanup for his home country during Wednesday's contest in what ended up being a 12-5 victory.

Ramos was signed by the Dodgers out of Panama back in 2018, so this offseason was the time to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. But LA used their 40-man roster spots on a few other prospects they seemingly deemed more valuable.

Luckily for Ramos, he dodged a bullet and didn't have to switch organizations. After being left unprotected and being subjected to the draft, nobody selected him. Really? Nobody? OK! The man slugged 25 homers and 97 RBI in 2022 between Single-A and High-A and then finished the year as the Dodgers' No. 8 overall prospect.

Now he's on the national stage during the WBC. Coincidentally, he dodged another bullet on Wednesday by avoiding an injury on this nasty collision with teammate and right fielder Luis Castillo.

Dodgers' No. 8 prospect Jose Ramos involved in rough collision during World Baseball Classic

Oof. That was ugly, but luckily neither player was injured as Castillo snagged that fly ball at the warning track off the bat of Tsung-Che Cheng. It proved to be a huge out, because Chinese Taipei scored a run later in the frame and then put runners on first and second before another flyout to Castillo ended the inning.

Ramos finished the game 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored. He'll have a chance to redeem himself on both sides of the ball Wednesday night at 11:00 p.m. ET against the Netherlands.

Just no more scary collisions for the 22-year-old, please? The Dodgers are going to need him in the upper levels of the minor leagues this year, as a number of other guys ahead of him in the pecking order earn promotions.