It looked scary and he had to go to the hospital for X-rays, but Dioner can consider himself lucky:
Dioner Navarro’s x-rays were negative. It is being treated as a contusion (bruise).
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) August 8, 2013
Following up on all of that, Patrick Mooney of CSNChicago.com asked Cubs players and manager Dale Sveum what they thought of the play. They’re pretty much of the opinion that “it’s baseball” and don’t think Chase Utley’s hit on Navarro was dirty.
These plays suck for everyone involved. Ideally catchers don’t block the plate before they have the ball. They’re technically not allowed to anyway, but that rule is ignored 100% of the time. But there’s a reason for that rule beyond mere fair play for the runner. Blocking the plate without the ball, by necessity, means you’re not looking at the runner and are probably not bracing for any kind of collision. You’re a sitting duck, basically, by your own design.
