- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 794,015
- Reaction score
- 53
You must be registered for see images attach
Stephen Brashear/Getty
Keibert Ruiz playing against the Seattle Mariners on May 28, 2025
NEED TO KNOW
- A Washington Nationals player was hit by a foul ball while in the dugout
- Keibert Ruiz was struck on the side of his head after his teammate hit the ball during his at-bat
- Ruiz left the dugout and underwent a CT scan; he was later replaced by a backup catcher
Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz took a hit to the side of his head after his teammate smacked a foul ball into the dugout.
The freak injury happened during the fourth inning at Petco Park in San Diego in a game against the Padres on Monday, June 23.
“The ball hit him pretty solid on the side of the head,” manager Dave Martinez said, according to MLB.com. “First, we all ducked. When he went down, we kind of got scared a little bit. He had a nice lump on his head. A little concerned right now.”
In footage from the at-bat, Nationals first baseman Josh Bell is seen fouling the ball off Padres pitcher Stephen Kolek.
You must be registered for see images attach
Orlando Ramirez/Getty
Keibert Ruiz in the dugout after being hit on June 23, 2025
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The 82.4 mph ball hit the back of the Nationals’ dugout before apparently hitting Ruiz, 26, on the right side of his head.
“Lookout in that dugout!” a broadcaster calling the game said, per the footage. “It went flying over the head of Jacob Young and then ricocheted …”.
“It got somebody,” the other commentator said, adding: “Ah, God.”
The announcer then explained that the dugouts at the stadium are “close” and “also not long, so everybody is really packed in there.”
At the same time, a camera showed Ruiz with a towel to his head walking out of the area with head athletic trainer Paul Lessard to the clubhouse.
The 26-year-old catcher later underwent a CT scan offsite, MLB.com reported.
Martinez said Ruiz was coherent and answering questions afterward, but he was replaced by backup catcher Riley Adams for the remainder of the game.
The Venezuelan athlete was called up to the majors in 2020 and made his debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Along with three other players, Ruiz was traded to the Nationals a year later in a deal for Trea Turner and Max Scherzer.
Read the original article on People
Continue reading...
