Now that we know Will Rhymes of the Tampa Bay Rays is OK, the following video isn't quite so scary.
It's still off-putting, though:
Whoa! Answer Man down, Answer Man down! There's no fainting in baseball! It's funny, now, that when trainers asked Rhymes to tell them his name, he said, "I'm Batman." Here's a guy with a sharp mind on his shoulders.
But in the moments after Rhymes' legs fell limp and he collapsed into the embrace of coach George Hendrick, speculation on Twitter abounded. He was hit on the arm, not on the head or thorax — so what happened? Did the major bruise cause a circulatory problem? Had he broken a bone and gone into shock? What gives, (other than his legs)?
[Related: PNC Park security guard loses finger in struggle with fan during Pirates game]
Well, Dr. skipper Joe Maddon had a diagnosis after Tampa Bay's 2-1 win over Boston: Adrenaline rush. When the juices get flowing, it can work against you too, apparently.
''He got kind of rubber-legged right there,'' Maddon said. ''That stuff hurts. I know it's in the arm, but that can definitely take your breath away. It was described to me as kind of an adrenalin rush that caused that reaction.''
X-rays were negative and the team said Rhymes is day to day with a bruised right forearm.
Phew. Rhymes had put a scare into everyone, especially Boston pitcher Franklin Morales, who threw the pitch. Here's Morales, via the Twitter of Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal:
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