Browns rookie tight end Zaire Mitchell-Paden had a major reason to feel relieved at David Njoku’s charity softball game in EASTLAKE, Ohio. During the game, Deshaun Watson, recovering from shoulder surgery, made a daring catch at first base, colliding with Mitchell-Paden in the process. Despite the scare, Watson quickly reassured everyone of his well-being, celebrating the catch with enthusiasm.
Watson assured cleveland.com that he was fine following the game. However, Mitchell-Paden was unsettled by the close call with the Browns’ star player, whose pivotal role this season carries high expectations, given his $230 million contract. Reflecting on the incident, Mitchell-Paden expressed concern for Watson’s well-being, relieved to learn he wasn’t seriously injured. Despite the scare, Watson quickly resumed playing, showing resilience by signing autographs and returning for subsequent innings. Mitchell-Paden emphasized his commitment to caution in similar situations in the future, prioritizing the safety of fellow players.
Watching Watson interact with fans, teammates, and fellow players during the game, Mitchell-Paden felt incredibly relieved.
“I was really, really happy that Deshaun wasn’t injured at all,” he expressed.
During the game, Watson, though not batting, had a mixed performance, dropping one pop-up in the third inning but successfully catching another to end the fourth inning. He also made a throw to Amari Cooper at third base and returned a couple of balls to the pitcher.
The Browns will undoubtedly be relieved that Watson emerged unharmed from the collision with Mitchell-Paden. Despite undergoing shoulder surgery in November to address a fractured shoulder socket and partially torn labrum, Watson is expected to participate in the Browns’ three-day mandatory minicamp starting Tuesday, although he may still have limitations as per the protocol outlined by his surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAtrache.
During the 10 organized team activities, Watson threw every other day, and didn’t participate in any offense vs. defense drills. It remains to be seen if he’ll do any more than that in minicamp, but ElAttrache wants him to be conservative until training camp in late July.
Throughout the 10 organized team activities (OTAs), Watson followed a schedule of throwing every other day and refrained from participating in offense versus defense drills. Whether he will increase his activity level during minicamp remains uncertain, but ElAttrache advises a cautious approach until training camp begins in late July.
During the initial week of OTAs, Stefanski remarked that Watson “looks like himself.”
Mitchell-Paden, among others, is delighted that this observation remains true even after the softball game incident.
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