Dodgers Fans Call for Change After Prospect Kendall George Has Surgery Due to Bat Dog Injury
· Yahoo Sports
Kendall George, the Los Angeles Dodgers prospect who was hurt avoiding a bat dog a few months ago, has ultimately had surgery to repair the damage, prompting some fans to demand changes in Minor League Baseball.
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George, an outfielder for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, shared to his Instagram account on Friday that he is having knee surgery.
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“New knee for the kidddd,” he posted with a smirking emoji. “Bat dog: 1 KG: 0.”
It’s a devastating result for “one of the fastest players in the minor leagues,” as detailed by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, and fans seem ready for changes to be made.
Fans blame MiLB — and George — for injury
George, who sustained what was initially thought to be a moderate patellar injury in May after he dodged the dog, tried to play through the injury, even stealing 10 bases in 17 games.
It seems he never fully recovered, though, and fans weighed in on the Dodgers Nation Instagram account.
“I was watching this game and when it happened I was like wtf!!” wrote @woodworksbyja.
“MiLB has to reassess their ‘entertainment,'” wrote sal_locurto. “If you can say, ‘this never would have happened in the Majors,’ it should be reevaluated. Love bat dogs, but…”
Feb 19, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers Kendall George poses for a portrait during photo day at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn ImagesOthers, however, blamed George for running full-speed toward the dugout after he already scored.
“Dog just doing what he was trained to do. No reason to run all the way down the stairs into the dugout when there wasn’t even a throw home,” said @steeezbass.
“That’s 100% on him not the dog’s fault. He was doing too much,” added @s_lynn005.
Despite the debate over who was at fault, it seems some changes are underway.
The end of bat dogs?
As Ardaya noted, the Drillers already suspended their bat dog program.
It seems likely that other teams might follow suit if more players continue to get hurt in mishaps involving bat dogs.
As commenters referenced, bat dogs and other quirky aspects of minor-league games are endearing to fans, but if player health is at risk, those activities probably need to be discontinued.
Not only is it dangerous to the players — and could potentially hurt their careers — but it’s also detrimental to the teams.
After all, these athletes are investments for the team, and as fun as bat dogs are, it’s hard to justify putting on-field success in jeopardy for a cute moment.
Do you think bat dogs are a good idea?