Mat Latos Makes Mistake Of Holding Back Sneeze, Heads To DL

The 22 year old Mat Latos has blossomed into an ace this season, posting a 2.45 ERA over 17 starts. As if that weren't enough, now he's found a way to make himself even more likable:

Latos, who is tied for third in the National League with 10 victories, will be placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday with a strain to his left side.

Latos said he suffered the injury attempting to hold back a sneeze on Friday in Colorado, a day after he improved to 10-4 and lowered his ERA 2.45 with a victory in Washington.

"I held my sneeze walking down the [dugout] steps and felt a little pull."

The good news is that Latos isn't seriously injured, and he was already likely going to have his next start skipped anyway as the Padres try to balance leading a division with being cautious with their stud starter. The bad news is twofold: nobody wants to go any length of time without their ace, and Latos will never hear the end of the jokes, inevitably leading to a crippling clubhouse chemistry tailspin that tears the Padres apart from the inside.

Kudos to Latos for actually fessing up to the discomfort, which a lot of young and old pitchers are often reluctant to do. Latos will never live this down, but at least he should be able to keep the pain to an actual minimum.

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