J.A. Happ, the starting pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday night, was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Desmond Jennings in the second inning of Toronto's 6-4 win at Tropicana Field.
Happ went straight to the ground with blood coming out of his ear, according to reports, and the ball ricocheted into right field for a Jennings triple. Medical personnel rushed onto the field and Happ was carted away on a stretcher, apparently conscious.
Fellow Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey said of Happ's injury, "It's devastating. ... I could barely watch it. You just don't know what to think, really. It paralyzes you a little bit. And when it sounds like two bats, when you hear the sound off the bat and it sounds like it hits another bat, it's scary. It's really, really scary. I just started praying in the spot. That's all I knew to do."
The Blue Jays said Happ was taken to nearby Bay Front Medical Center, where he was awake, alert, and is now listed in stable condition. The frightening scene reminded many of last season's similar incident, when Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy took a shot off the head and wound up with a skull fracture and brain contusion.
A Yahoo! Sports report says that protective headwear for pitchers is on its way, to prevent instances such as Tuesday nights from being so dangerous. Major League Baseball medical director Dr. Gary Green has talked with companies about new caps for pitchers that are lined with Kevlar, a high-impact material used by NFL players as well as the United States military.
The report, which was posted in October of 2012 quotes San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito as saying, "I definitely think it's something worth exploring. We've had high-profile examples of those injuries lately."
In the short time Happ spent on the mound Tuesday, he was ineffective, tossing one and one third innings and surrendering four earned runs. Four Blue Jays relievers combined to pitch a shutout over the final seven and two thirds innings and allow Toronto's offense to close the gap.
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