BALTIMORE — The entire stadium froze Monday night in Baltimore when George Springer was hit in the head by a Kade Strowd fastball in the ninth inning.
Springer immediately dropped to the ground and manager John Schneider bolted from the dugout the moment it happened, soon followed by members of the Blue Jays’ training staff. Springer laid face-down on the ground for over a minute before getting to his feet and walking off the field under his own power with Schneider and the staff.
The replay review appeared to show the ball hitting Springer in his left ear flap, which led to the loud sound in the moment that silenced the crowd. On a 96-mph pitch from Strowd that ran up and in, it was sudden and jarring.
Schneider was clearly concerned after the game, speaking in front of the camera, but shared that Springer had been alert the entire time and was speaking with the staff from the moment they got out to him.
“He’s doing all right,” Schneider said after the 11-4 loss. “It kind of got him in the shoulder, then helmet, and thankfully he was able to turn a little bit, too. I just had the chance to talk with him. He’s in with the doc right now getting evaluated.”
Early Tuesday, Springer was with the Blue Jays in the clubhouse and was “feeling better” the club said, but he was not in the lineup for Game 1 of the doubleheader.
It’s a scary moment for any player, but Springer is one of the faces of the Blue Jays — a key veteran in the middle of a resurgent season. His style of play this season, particularly on the bases, has quickly become a core piece of the Blue Jays’ identity. He’s been Toronto’s most pleasant surprise in a season full of them.
“That’s the worst part of baseball for any side, when a pitch gets thrown that high,” Schneider said. “You don’t think about baseball, you think about the human. It’s scary, it happens, it sucks.”
As the camera cut between players on the field while Springer was on the ground, there was clear concern from not only his teammates, but members of the Orioles’ team and staff. When Springer finally got back to his feet and walked off, the O’s fans in attendance gave him a standing ovation, many of them shouting words of encouragement from behind home plate.
“George is one of the more well-respected players in Major League Baseball,” said Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino. “Really, when any player is in that scenario, anybody who’s ever kind of stood in the box or stood on the field at any level, I think we all kind of cringe. Then you see it happen to a guy like George, and it’s even more so. So, terrifying. We hope he’s OK. The fact he walked off the field — that’s encouraging.”
Further updates are expected on Springer through Tuesday.
