Kris Bryant appears to be OK after being hit in the head by pitch
Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant appears to have avoided a serious injury after getting hit in the head with a pitch. Bryant was taken out of Sunday’s game against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning after starter German Marquez hit Bryant with a 96 mph fastball.
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The ball hit both the bill of Bryant’s helmet as well as the area above his left eye. He was able to stay on his feet after getting hit, but started walking over near the Cubs dugout. On the way there, manager Joe Maddon came out to check on Bryant.
Bryant eventually left the game, but the Cubs offered a promising update later in the contest.
Kris Bryant was examined upon exiting today’s game and has passed all tests thus far.
He has a small laceration above his eye from his sunglasses, but has shown no signs of a concussion.
He will continue to be evaluated.
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) April 22, 2018
The Cubs say Bryant was able to pass initial tests. He has a laceration above his eye from his sunglasses, but that’s it. He’s not showing signs of a concussion yet, but the team will continue to evaluate him.
The pitch from Marquez did not appear to be intentional. His catcher, Chris Iannetta, set up for a high fastball. The pitch ran in and hit Bryant. After Bryant was hit, Iannetta immediately showed concern for Bryant, taking off his mask and walking toward him.
Cubs hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Andy Haines took exception to how the situation was handled. Both men were ejected for their conduct toward the umpiring crew. There’s video of Haines throwing his sports drink in the direction of one of the umpires. That led to his ejection.
While Bryant appears to be OK, he still could miss a few games. Concussion symptoms can sometimes take a while before they occur, so the team could try and play it safe with Bryant. The Cubs have an off day Monday before beginning a series with the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday.
For now, though, things look to be all right. The Cubs won’t miss one of their best players for long and, more importantly, Bryant escaped without serious injury.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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