On Wednesday, the Colorado Rockies saw Daniel Murphy make his return to the lineup after missing the first month of play with a fractured left index finger. But, their first baseman narrowly escaped a second stint on the injured list when he avoided a collision ... with a giant, running tooth. 

When Murphy stepped out of the Rockies dugout to take the field in the sixth inning -- which happens to be when Colorado conducts its Comfort Dental Tooth Trot -- he almost got run over by someone in a tooth costume barreling toward the finish line. It was a close call. Take a look:

Murphy was just strolling out to first base while adjusting his hat before he could even get out of the way. Thankfully, the tooth mascot proved to be agile enough to side hop, avoiding an unintentional takedown. But Murphy was clearly shaken up by the incident. 

The Tooth Trot is a sponsored race between three mascots (a tooth, toothbrush and toothpaste) and the trio races between third and first base, with the finish line close to Colorado's dugout. You would think Murphy would be better prepared to avoid running mascots, as he spent nearly two and a half seasons with the Washington Nationals, who are famous for their Presidents Race. Then again, Murphy isn't the first player to almost get run over by a giant tooth mascot... Back in 2016, former D-Backs shortstop Jean Segura had the same thing happen to him.

This post should really be considered a public service announcement for all ball players at Coors Field. Make sure you wait for the teeth cleaning mascots to clear the way before you step out of the dugout.

In the Rockies 9-5 win over the Nationals (box score), Murphy went 1-for-4. He singled in his first at-bat, drew a walk off Anibal Sanchez and scored on left fielder Raimel Tapia's three-run double in the third inning. Colorado (11-4) has an off day on Thursday, before they begin a three-game series in Atlanta against the Braves (11-11).