A Sacramento River Cats mascot dressed as Santa Claus ran over Oklahoma City Comets outfielder Alek Thomas with an electric scooter along the warning track at Sutter Health Park last Tuesday, and the collision was caught on video that quickly spread across social media. The mascot, known as Dinger, struck Thomas as he stepped out of the visiting dugout during a Christmas in July promotional game. Thomas remained in the contest and finished 0-for-4 as Sacramento shut out Oklahoma City 11-0.
The moment happened during a between-innings bit gone wrong, according to KSL News, which reported that Dinger was riding a scooter along the warning track when he collided with Thomas near the dugout. Video of the crash first surfaced on Reddit before being picked up by sports media outlets, according to BroBible. Jomboy Media also reported on the incident the day it happened, per KSL's account.
Thomas Was Fine, Comets Joke Dinger Should Watch His Back
Thomas was fine after being run over, the outlet's report states, and he stayed in the lineup for the remainder of the blowout loss — Oklahoma City's first shutout defeat since September 2025, according to Ground News. The Oklahoma City Comets themselves leaned into the absurdity of the moment, warning that Dinger should sleep with both eyes open for a while, per KSL's report. Thomas rebounded within days, collecting three hits in a Wednesday game during a six-game series against the Salt Lake Bees, the same account notes.
It was not Thomas's first brush with an unusual mascot encounter this season — he also survived run-ins with Bumble, according to KSL's reporting, though no further detail on that encounter was provided. The Sacramento River Cats, who have played in West Sacramento since 2000, serve as the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants and often build between-innings bits like this around Dinger, a tradition Hoodline has chronicled as part of Minor League Baseball's reliance on interactive promotional themes to draw crowds.
A Rocky 2026 for a Dodgers Outfield Prospect
The scooter mishap adds a strange footnote to what has already been a turbulent year for Thomas. The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired the 26-year-old from the Arizona Diamondbacks in May in exchange for 17-year-old prospect Jose Requena, after Arizona designated Thomas for assignment following an .181 batting average across 28 major league games, according to MLB.com. Los Angeles absorbed the remaining $1.4 million of his salary to add center-field depth, the same report notes.
Thomas isn't without pedigree. Drafted in the second round in 2018, he played 448 major league games over five seasons for Arizona and hit a crucial game-tying home run in Game 4 of the 2023 NLCS that helped propel the Diamondbacks to the World Series, according to Arizona Sports. He entered this season with 31 career major league home runs, the outlet reported. Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman said the organization acquired Thomas to work on his swing mechanics in Triple-A while capitalizing on his elite defensive skill set in center field, according to comments reported by Sportskeeda. Thomas currently provides organizational depth behind starting major league center fielder Andy Pages, per that report.
A Pattern of Freak Mascot Mishaps in the Dodgers System
The scooter collision also marks the second unusual animal or mascot incident involving a Dodgers minor league outfield prospect this year. Double-A Tulsa prospect Kendall George injured his knee jumping over a bat dog at home plate on May 25, an episode that prompted the Tulsa Drillers to temporarily pause their bat-dog program, according to BroBible's reporting. Motorized mascot mishaps aren't new to professional baseball, either — on August 5, 2007, Seattle Mariners mascot Mariner Moose accidentally clipped Boston Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp on the knee with an all-terrain vehicle at Safeco Field, according to Ballpark Digest. Crisp avoided serious injury and, in a lighter moment, feigned throwing his glove at the mascot afterward, the outlet noted.
Thomas's team, the Oklahoma City Comets, officially unveiled its current brand identity in October 2024, replacing the temporary Oklahoma City Baseball Club name and choosing Comets in honor of Oklahoma native Mickey Mantle, nicknamed The Commerce Comet, according to MiLB.com. The franchise had previously operated as the Oklahoma City Dodgers from 2015 to 2023, the same report states.
Sutter Health Park's Growing Spotlight
The viral collision also lands at a moment when Sutter Health Park is drawing more national attention than usual. The West Sacramento venue is home to the River Cats and is also hosting Major League Baseball's Athletics franchise from 2025 through 2027 while construction continues on their permanent Las Vegas stadium, as Hoodline has previously reported. Regional leaders have used that expanded profile to push a bid for a future MLB expansion team.
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