MLB teams
Gordon Edes, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Dustin Pedroia hit in head

MLB, Boston Red Sox

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia showed symptoms of a concussion after taking a blow to the left side of the head on a tag play at second base in the second inning of Saturday night's 7-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, according to Boston manager John Farrell.

"He's got some symptoms that are consistent with a concussion,'' Farrell said. "The dizziness was evident when he was on the field, and it was clear he was coming out of the game immediately.''

With the bases loaded and no out in the second, Rays catcher Ryan Hanigan hit a sacrifice fly ball to deep center field, where it was caught by outfielder Mookie Betts. Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe, who was on first base, tagged up and went into second base with a head-first slide.

Pedroia, who had his back to the runner, took the throw and swept counter-clockwise to make the tag. Forsythe reached for the bag with his left hand, but his right forearm came up and struck Pedroia in the head.

"I didn't even know I really hit him [until] I turned back and I saw him down," Forsythe said. "I felt my arm hit something, and I put two and two together. I didn't see where I hit him until replay. I looked at it.''

The Red Sox second baseman lay face-first on the ground while Farrell and trainer Brad Pearson ran out from the dugout.

"Headfirst slide, Pedey's coming in to try and put a quick tag on him,'' Farrell said. "[Forsythe] struck him with his elbow, that was clear. It looked like momentum took him across the bag. He's reaching out ahead of him to try to brace himself and not slide past the bag. As he's reaching forward, he caught [Pedroia] with a good elbow to the side of the head.''

Eventually, Pedroia was helped to his feet and assisted off the field by Pearson.

"He's improved as the night has gone on here,'' Farrell said. "Not as dizzy as he was when he first came off. But we'll take every precaution necessary with Dustin.

"We'll keep a close eye on him overnight and likely he'll be examined by a doctor here in Tampa. I don't know if he's had a doctor see him here this evening. If not, I'm sure it will take place by tomorrow.

"Given where we are with rosters expanding, we don't necessarily know that this will be a seven-day DL. We've got to be sure that every symptom is cleared. This will be a day-to-day situation.''

Pedroia has started 131 of Boston's 134 games this season. He has left early due to an injury only once this season, when he fouled a ball off his foot and left in the ninth inning of a game May 29 against the Rays at Fenway Park.

^ Back to Top ^