Toronto Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ could be released soon from a Florida hospital after being hit in the head by a line drive.
Happ was reportedly undergoing additional tests, according to the Associated Press.
The Blue Jays released a statement saying Happ "was responsive and doing well after suffering a head contusion and a laceration to his left ear."
The injury occurred in the second inning of Tuesday night's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Rays center fielder Desmond Jennings hit a line drive that connected hard with the left side of Happs' head.
Happ went down. Trainers and paramedics rushed to the mound and administered aid to the 30-year-old pitcher for about eight minutes while a stunned crowd watched. Eventually paramedics wheeled Happ off the field on a stretcher.
"It's devastating. ... I could barely watch it," Toronto pitcher R.A. Dickey said. "You just don't know what to think, really. It paralyzes you a little bit. And when it sounds like two bats, when you hear the sound off the bat and it sounds like it hits another bat, it's scary. It's really, really scary. I just started praying in the spot. That's all I knew to do."
Just before exiting the field, Happ waved his hand. The Tampa Bay fans gave him a standing ovation, and the game continued. Toronto went on to win 6-4.
Happ's injury is the fourth of its kind in less than a year. Former Oakland Athletics pitcher Brandon McCarthy suffered life-threatening injuries last September after a line drive hit him in the head.
Allowing pitchers protective headgear is a possibility, but MLB vice president Dan Halem said on Wednesday that "nothing is imminent."
The MLB is in discussions with over a dozen companies to develop a protective cap, according to Halem. Nine prototypes have already been tested, but none are ready to be used.
"We can't put a product out there that gives a false sense of security," Halem said.
If effective protective headgear is eventually engineered, the MLB would likely only make it optional to players since mandated headgear would need approval by the players' union.
