In a freak incident, home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson was struck by a splintered bat during a recent game between the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers.
The incident took place with Mike Trout of the Angels at bat in the ninth inning on June 14 at Dodger Stadium.
Trout swung, and when his bat made contact with the ball, the bat splintered in two.
Home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson is hit with a broken bat from Angels Mike Trout in the face and would leave the game in the 9th against the Dodgers during a MLB baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. @dodgers #dodgers @angels #angels @mlb #mlb #baseball @billplunkettocr pic.twitter.com/869n1sdIA3
— Keith Birmingham (@photowkb) June 15, 2022
The splintered half flew backward at Tomlinson, striking him in the mask, according to SBNation.
Not just anywhere in the mask. The fragment with the jagged edge entered the eye slit of the umpire’s mask.
The injury initially caused concerns that Tomlinson had been struck in the eye or had suffered a concussion.
Umpire Nate Tomlinson was hit by Mike Trout’s shattered bat in the face.
Tomlinson was able to walk off the field, visibly bleeding from his nose and above the eye.
? @BleacherReportpic.twitter.com/CrVKv8cMFi
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 15, 2022
Is it time to use technology in place of umpires?
Trout did not dash to first base as he looked at what the splinter of his bat had done as Tomlinson fell to his knees upon impact.
The bloodied Major League Baseball umpire was given treatment at the scene, left the game and was taken to the hospital, but he ended up with a cut to his face, just above his eye and nose, in a far better outcome than initially feared.
Home-plate umpire Nate Tomlinson was taken to the emergency room Tuesday night after being struck in the face by Mike Trout’s broken bat, with a piece flying between bars of his mask, cutting his face just above his eye and nose. He managed to avoid serious injury, his crew says.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 15, 2022
Second-base umpire Laz Diaz took over behind the plate, according to USA Today.
“In the mask, the broken part of the bat, that was really scary,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game, according to Bleacher Report.
“I heard that it hit his nose, Nate. And so that’s, I guess, the best-case scenario. A very scary moment.”
Scary moment in LA.
Home plate umpire accidentally takes Mike Trout’s bat to the face. Hope nothing is serious. pic.twitter.com/TMVYgKG08Y
— Starting 9 (@Starting9) June 15, 2022
As for Trout, he ended up reaching first on the play when the ball he hit could not be caught by Dodgers center fielder Gavin Lux.
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