Chase Utley Reflects on 2015 NLDS Slide
It’s been a decade since Chase Utley made headlines for his controversial play in Flushing, and he’s still candid about it.
The former player of the Phillies and Dodgers appeared on “Pardon My Take” recently, discussing the infamous slide against Reuben Tejada in the 2015 NLDS Game 2, which resulted in Tejada suffering a broken fibula. Utley expressed some regret, admitting how things turned out was unfortunate.
He described going in hard on the play during the seventh inning, clarifying that hurting Tejada was never his intention. Tejada had turned to look back when the two collided, resulting in a severe impact that sidelined him for the remainder of the postseason.
“Everyone had zero intentions to win a fight on that play,” Utley stated. “I always play hard, but this one was different. I didn’t expect to make such contact. I was kind of hoping he would leap out of the way.” The intense nature of the game left him surprised.
Utley acknowledged feeling bad about the situation, saying he “feels awful” when reflecting on it.
He clarified, “Looking back, I didn’t feel good about it. I truly didn’t want to hurt him.” He later attempted to reach out and apologize to Tejada.
Initially, MLB suspended Utley for two games due to the incident, but the suspension was eventually lifted. When he returned for Game 3, he faced a chorus of boos from the Citi Field crowd as his name was announced—obviously, the fans had strong feelings about what had happened.
Ultimately, the league revised its rules regarding how runners slide into bases following this incident. In the subsequent season, tensions remained high; Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard threw behind Utley, sparking more debates about the play.
Utley closed his reflection with a note about learning from the experience. If given another chance, he would change his approach entirely. “If I knew back then the outcome, I would certainly have done it differently,” he admitted, suggesting he might have adjusted his slide if he had foreseen Tejada’s response.
