Nationals’ Daylen Lile taken off on stretcher after flipping over wall in scary scene
The Nationals are holding their breath after one of their top prospects appeared to be injured in a scary scene during a spring training game on Saturday afternoon.
Outfielder Daylen Lile was taken out of JetBlue Park on a stretcher after tumbling over the right field wall attempting to rob a home run against the Red Sox.
Boston first baseman Tyler Miller crushed a pitch from the Nationals’ Cole Henry deep into right, and as Lile drifted back toward the short, hip-high wall, leaped up and then fell over the fence in an attempt to make the catch.
Lile, 21, fell into the Red Sox bullpen, and the pitchers out there immediately signaled for help.
The Boston training staff came over and attended to Lile, and after a delay, the 2021 second-round draft pick was taken away from the Fort Myers, Florida ballpark in a stretcher, per the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes.
Video from the NESN feed appeared to show Lile wearing a brace around his neck.
Per Janes, Lile gave a thumbs up as he was taken from the ballpark.
Nationals manager Davey Martinez said that Lile landed on his back and was transported to an area hospital for a CAT scan and the team will know more about the extend of the injury on Sunday, according to Janes.
Martinez added that Lile was able to move his arms and legs, per MASN’s Mark Zuckerman.
A person from the Nationals’ training staff is expected to remain with Lile until he is ready to go back to the team’s facility in West Palm Beach, Janes reported.
“Hit pretty hard, hit the ground,” Martinez said afterward, per The Athletic. “He’s going to get checked out. When we left, he was moving his feet and his legs. Hopefully, everything comes back negative. We’ll pray for him.”
Lile, ranked as the team’s No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2023, had an .807 OPS with nine comes between Low and High-A last season.
