Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Andrew Joseph

Matt Waldron’s gravity-defying knuckleball played out like a cruel joke on Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka

Kyle Higashioka Matt Waldron Padres MLB

It’s been years since MLB has seen a pitcher throw the knuckleball with as much consistency as Padres pitcher Matt Waldron has this season. And while fans have absolutely loved watching that knuckleball in action, it can be mayhem for catchers.

Padres catcher Kyle Higashioka would probably agree with that.

Waldron was on the mound for San Diego in Saturday’s game against the Diamondbacks. And during José Herrera’s second-inning at-bat, Waldron’s knuckleball seemingly left his hand with spin before hitting the brakes in mid-air for that aggressive knuckleball action. Of course, all that movement threw Higashioka off as he desperately tried to follow the knuckleball’s trajectory.

If you told me this was a practical joke on Higashioka, I would have believed you.

The knuckleball would hit the heel of Higashioka’s glove for the most unfortunate of passed balls. Like, did the official scorer see that pitch?! I wouldn’t blame Higashioka for struggling with it.

Fans, though, could not stop watching the replay. Physics did not apply to that knuckleball.

This was how Twitter/X reacted

More MLB

MLB fans loved seeing how the Cubs surprised Shōta Imanaga with his All-Star honor in the clubhouse

Ke'Bryan Hayes masterfully tricked Sean Manaea in order to dive back to first base without getting tagged

A Yankees fan absolutely lasered a Rafael Devers home run ball back to the mound

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Middle children are more cooperative than their siblings, study suggests
After decades of debate, one of the largest ever studies on birth order suggests it does actually make a difference
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Work or play? The rise of online ‘kidfluencers’ is raising complex legal and ethical questions
Videos of children opening boxes of toys and playing with them have become a feature of online marketing – making stars out of children as young as two.
The Conversation
The Conversation
She's here for 'a kitchen pep talk' during the holiday whirlwind
If you’re feeling too overwhelmed to cook during the holidays, maybe a new book by Margaret Eby can help
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
All the celebrities that have supported Blake Lively after Justin Baldoni lawsuit
Lively has received a huge amount of support after filing the lawsuit against Baldoni
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Where’s Santa? Here’s how to track his journey this Christmas Eve
NORAD’s Santa Tracker website launched this year on December 1
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Gen Z’s politics are hard to categorize – and a harbinger of a new political order
The great clashes to come will be less between left and right than between those inside and outside a dying establishment
The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play