The hot dog-throwing mascot case has gone up to the supreme court and still continues on - MLB

You may recall that a Kansas man sued the Kansas City Royals, alleging that a hot dog thrown by the team’s mascot — Sluggerrr — at a September 2009 game struck him in the eye and detached his retina. The case went to trial in 2011 and the Royals — and Sluggerr — won. The plaintiff appealed. In early 2013 he won his appeal. The Royals appealed it to the Missouri Supreme Court.

Yesterday, the supreme court ruled in favor of the fan again, throwing out the jury verdict for the last time and sending the case back for a re-trial.

Again: a case involving a guy in a lion suit throwing a hot dog at a guy is likely to enter its sixth year soon. And, I assume, a fact pattern involving a mascot throwing concessions at fans at a sporting event is also entering its sixth year as a fact pattern on first year torts exams in law schools around the country.

PITTSBURGH — The New York Mets will have to dig out of an early-season hole without star first baseman Pete Alonso.

The leading home run hitter in the majors will miss three-to-four weeks with a bone bruise and a sprain in his left wrist.

The Mets placed Alonso on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to June 8. Alonso was hit in the wrist by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of a 7-5 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.

Alonso traveled to New York for testing on Thursday. X-rays revealed no broken bones, but the Mets will be missing one of the premier power hitters in the game as they try to work their way back into contention in the NL East.

“We got better news than it could have been,” New York manager Buck Showalter said. “So we take that as a positive. It could have been worse.”

New York had lost six straight heading into a three-game series at Pittsburgh that began Friday. Mark Canha started at first for the Mets in the opener. Mark Vientos could also be an option, though Showalter said the coaching staff may have to use its “imagination” in thinking of ways to get by without Alonso.

“I’m not going to say someone has to step up and all that stuff,” Showalter said. “You’ve just got to be who you are.”

Even with Alonso in the lineup, the Mets have struggled to score consistently. New York is 16th in the majors in runs scored.

The team also said Friday that reliever Edwin Uceta had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Uceta initially went on the IL in April with what the team called a sprained left ankle. He is expected to be out for at least an additional eight weeks.

New York recalled infielder Luis Guillorme and left-handed reliever Zach Muckenhirn from Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets sent catcher Tomás Nido to Triple-A and designated reliever Stephen Nogosek for assignment.

Nogosek is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 13 games this season.