Brayan Pena would welcome catcher protection

Tigers catcher Brayan Pena is no stranger to home plate collisions, but that does not mean he thinks they shouldn't be addressed. Pena, who has suffered concussion symptoms in his career, told MLB.com Friday that he's in favor of proposed rule changes that would protect catchers on plays at the plate.

"Imagine us. We have to stand there and we have to take the hit when the guy's coming at full speed -- a 200-pound, 230-pound guy coming at you, and you have to stay there and take the hit," he said. "So I think for the health issue, [a rule change] would be great. But at the same time, I feel like it's part of the game. It's part of the game that I chose. It's part of the position that I chose to play."

Pena, who spent time on the DL in 2008 with post-concussion symptoms, has not played since a collision Wednesday against the Mariners. Fortunately, he has not had any concussion symptoms.  

"As a baseball fan, you don't want to change the game that much," Pena said. "But if you look at it from a family's standpoint, you want to see your boys grow up. At the end of your career, if you can say, 'I retired because it was time for me to go' not because concussions forced me to go."