A young fan was struck by a foul ball at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles Sunday, the same place where a woman died after being hit in the head last year.
Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger was at the plate in the bottom of the first inning against the Colorado Rockies when he hit a scorching foul ball down the first baseline.
The ball sailed beyond the stadium’s protective netting and hit the young woman in the head.
“I saw it literally hit her face, so that was tough,” Bellinger said after the game. He also said he went over to her to see if she was OK.
“She said she was all right. She gave me a thumbs up,” he said. “Obviously, a scary situation ... I mean, they’re close to the playing field.”
The woman remained in her seat with an ice pack on her head for about 15 minutes before being taken to the hospital as a precaution, the team said. She wasn’t identified.
Last season, a 79-year-old woman died after being hit in the head by a foul ball at Dodger Stadium.
Last month, Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. was distraught after a foul ball he hit struck a fan during a game against the Houston Astros.
In 2017, a young girl was hit by a foul ball at New York’s Yankee Stadium, which resulted in the team pledging to add netting.
In 2015, Major League Baseball advised teams to extend the protective netting in its stadiums so it extends from one dugout to the other.
By last season, every team had compiled, but a few teams are now going further.
The Chicago White Sox said they will extend their netting to the foul pole in the outfield, while the Texas Rangers and Washington Nationals also plan to extend their nettings farther than required.
