Red Sox DH Justin Turner taken to hospital, receives 16 stitches after HBP to face

Boston Red Sox veteran Justin Turner left a spring training game Monday after taking a pitch directly to the face, leaving him on the ground and bleeding from his mouth.

The scary scene came in the bottom of the first inning, with Turner facing Detroit Tigers right-hander Matt Manning. Turner spent a minute on the ground as Red Sox trainers looked at him and eventually left while covering his face with a towel. You can see the pitch here.

The Red Sox released a statement a couple of hours later saying Turner had been taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. The team reported him to be in stable condition but receiving treatment for soft tissue injuries and being monitored for a concussion.

Turner's wife Kourtney later tweeted her husband was back home and resting, with X-rays revealing no fractures. However, Turner did reportedly need 16 stitches and still had plenty of swelling.

The 38-year-old Turner is entering his first season with the Red Sox after signing a two-year deal worth $22 million this winter.

Turner comes to Boston after nine seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, with whom he was a consistent bat and clubhouse leader on a team that made the playoffs every year he was there. He hit. .296/.375/.490 during the regular season and left as the team's all-time leader in postseason hits and games played.

While he was the every-day third baseman for the majority of his Dodgers career, Turner was signed to be Boston's regular designated hitter while providing depth in the corner infield.