Angels Stadium witnessed a scary sight during Thursday’s game between the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels, as MLB umpire Paul Emmel was hit by a bat, which appeared to split his head open.
Emmel was taken to the hospital for stitches, but he is expected to be OK, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The incident occurred after Los Angeles’ Jefry Marte lost control of his bat during a swing in the ninth inning. Deadspin’s Timothy Burke reported the news.
MLB.com also provided video of the mishap:
Fox Sports West’s Jill Painter Lopez speculated that Emmel will likely undergo testing at the hospital.
However, Emmel was able to leave the field under his own power, per ABC 10News’ Ben Higgins.
The Athletics ended up defeating the Angels, 5-4.
According to his MLB.com profile, Emmel is an accomplished umpire in the major leagues.
The 48-year-old, who joined MLB in 1999, is in his 17th season in the big leagues. Emmel has been involved in numerous playoff games, including the 2014 National League Wild Card Game, the 2015 American League Wild Card Game, the 2007 American League Championship Series, the 2015 National League Championship Series and the 2013 World Series.
He also worked the All-Star Game in 2002 and 2013.
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