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Former Phillies 1B Darin Ruf Sues the Cincinnati Reds Over Injury
Mike Lipinski has been covering Philadelphia sports since 2005. Previous stops include Section 247 Sports, My MMA News, and more. He has been a part of the Sports Talk Philly team since 2019. He is the editor of Philadelphia Phillies content, co-editor for college football covering mainly the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, and dabbles in all other sports. Follow him on social media channels -Twitter & Threads- @TheMikeLipinski
All posts by Mike LipinskiPublished22 May 2025
Former Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Darin Ruf is suing the Cincinnati Reds for damages related to an injury that occurred while attempting to make a catch at Great American Ballpark two years ago.
Ruf, who played for the Phillies from 2012-2016, injured his knee on June 2, 2023, when he was playing with the Milwaukee Brewers in a game against the Reds. In the third inning of the game, Ruf pursued a popup into foul territory when he collided with the uncovered tarp roller. Ruf injured his knee in the collision with the tarp roller and was unable to continue his career.
In the lawsuit filed on Thursday in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, Ruf and his attorney Tad Thomas charge the Reds with negligence for failing to maintain safe field conditions and they specifically cite the uncovered, unpadded metal tarp roller. In the complaint, Ruf’s attorney claims his client suffered from “permanent and substantial deformities to his knee” which forced him to retire from baseball.
Former Phils 1B Darin Ruf is suing the Reds for negligence charging unsafe field conditions after injuring his knee in the a 2023 game.
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Thomas released the following statement after filing the lawsuit:
“This was an obvious and avoidable risk. There are basic safety protocols every MLB team should follow. Leaving an unpadded metal roller on the edge of the field is inexcusable.”
Thomas would go on to call the Reds’ decision not to cover the metal roller “reckless.”
Ruf is seeking punitive and compensatory damages.
The Phillies 20th round pick in the 2009 MLB June Amateur Draft, Ruf first gained notoriety for his power while playing for Single-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading during the 2010 and 2011 minor league seasons. Ruf would never reach his full potential with the Phillies and was traded in November 2016 along with Darnell Sweeney to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Howie Kendrick. In parts of five seasons with the Phillies, Ruf slashed .240/.314/.433 with 35 homers, 96 RBI, and a ,747 OPS. He spent a handful of seasons with the Samsung Lions of the KBO before returning the Big Leagues including two stints with San Francisco Giants and partial seasons with the Brewers and New York Mets.
