In the grand tradition of athletes willing to lay it all on the line, one Dodgers superstar was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice—only to be overruled by those with, let’s say, a better sense of timing.

The first baseman’s rib injury is not as severe as the one he played through last fall, but the Dodgers opted to keep him out of the lineup as a precaution again Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers made a disappointing decision on the reigning World Series MVP as a surprising injury flared up before Opening Day.