The Los Angeles Dodgers know a thing or two about untimely injuries. After all, it was in the Dodger Stadium that Aaron Judge hit the door last year. But this time, the Dodgers came close to losing their own megastar to an unexpected injury. However, as the ball neared Shohei Ohtani there stood one man, the bat boy Javier Herrera – the lifesaver of Ohtani and in fact, the whole of the Dodgers squad. 

Shohei Ohtani started the game with his usual flair. With a huge leadoff homer (his second in just as many games) the game was going great. But then he found himself in a precarious position and the situation could’ve quickly turned sour. A foul ball rushed towards the dugout as if it was locked on Ohtani. The superstar frantically ducked, but Javier Herrera miraculously caught it before it could reach him. 

The moment immediately went viral on social media, with fans calling for Herrera to be avoided. His unreal reflexes and subsequent lack of care turned this into an iconic moment for the longtime bat boy. But it also raised questions about who Javier Herrera is and how long he has been the Dodgers’ bat boy. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time he has become a fan favorite.

The 38-year-old Javier Herrera has been with the Los Angeles Dodgers since he was 18. During all of that time, he’s been officially designated as their batboy. However, his impact in the clubhouse goes beyond just bat boy duties. Herrera’s love for baseball is unreal. He was quoted as saying, “My biggest thing is, I want to be there when the Dodgers win a World Series. I want to experience that.” (via Los Angeles Times)

He certainly did that in 2020. However, there’s much more to Herrera than just being a bat boy. He’s the senior-most member of the team and a long-time favorite of the Dodgers fanbase due to his undying passion.

Before Shohei Ohtani’s savior, Javier Herrera was the “fall guy”

Javier Herrera first gained prominence in 2015 when his fall became the talk of the town. The Dodgers were facing the Cincinnati Reds, and a ball girl had gone absent. That forced Herrera to take up the duty, leading to a viral moment. During the fifth inning, a foul ball raced toward the stand, and Herrera had no choice but to catch it. However, as he leaned back, something unexpected happened.

Herrera collapsed over the blue railing tumbled over stands and fell on his back. The fall was so dramatic, that even the announcers asked, “Oh my goodness…Is he OK?” However, Herrera was okay. Only his ego had been hurt, he had just fallen in front of a national TV audience. But then something unexpected happened, the crowd began cheering for him. Suddenly, Herrera was a hero and that became a lasting memory.

Now, 9 years later, Herrera has done something similar once again. The bat boy is now Shohei Ohtani’s life savior. More importantly, his reflexes may have just stopped the Los Angeles Dodgers’ season from collapsing.