Carlos Pena was stung by a sting ray while he was a Tampa Bay Ray ... then he hit a HR

Carlos Pena -- the former All-Star slugger who once hit a home run into an actual tray of brisket in Texas -- regaled viewers of MLB Central yesterday with another improbable tale of the time he was stung by a ray ... while he was on the Rays.

Pena played for the Rays from 2007-10 (including the '08 team that made it to the World Series) and again in 2012. According to a story he told on the MLB Network show, he once went out for a morning run before a game against the Rangers. After his run, he walked out into the ocean to cool off and felt something sharp sting his foot. 

The fine folks at MLB Network were kind enough to stage a dramatic re-enactment:

His leg started to tingle, he had to call 911 and emergency responders came and put his foot in hot water. When he got to the ballpark later that day, he was nervous to tell anyone what happened, but mentioned it to a trainer who asked if he could still play.

Yes. The answer was most definitely, "Yes." Pena went on to hit a big home run against the Rangers that night and joked that he's been trying to get stung by a ray again ever since.