MINNEAPOLIS — Veteran umpire Hunter Wendelstedt went to a hospital for further examination on Wednesday after he was struck in the face behind first base by a line drive foul ball.
Wendelstedt instantly hit the ground after he took a direct hit from the line smash off the bat of New York Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor in the seventh inning. Both Taylor and Twins right-hander Louis Varland winced immediately after seeing where the ball hit Wendelstedt, who is in his 28th major league season as an umpire.
Crew chief Todd Tichenor told a pool reporter after the game that Wendelstedt was coherent and speaking but going through a concussion protocol.
“Hopefully it’s just some stitches is what I’m thinking,” Tichenor said.
The 53-year-old Wendelstedt was down for a minute while being tended to by Twins medical staff and was able to slowly walk off on his own, pressing a towel against the left side of his head. Second base umpire Adam Hamari moved to first on the three-man crew for the remainder of the game.
Major League Baseball said Wendelstedt was undergoing additional tests.
“We are encouraged that he was in good spirits when he was in touch with our medical staff,” MLB said. “We will continue to monitor his status.”
The incident spooked everyone on the field, regardless of which uniform they were wearing.
“It made us all stop and think,” Tichenor said. “That hit him solid in the head. It was scary.”
Said Twins first baseman Ty France: “It happened so fast. Just praying for a speedy recovery for him because you never want to see something like that happen.”
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli also expressed his concern.
“I would like to wish him the best and say we’re all thinking about him,” Baldelli said. “I was glad to see him walk off the field under his own power. That was better than the alternative. We hope he’s OK.”
Major League Baseball has required base coaches to wear helmets since 2008, the year after the death of Mike Coolbaugh, who was killed after being struck in the neck by a line drive while coaching first base in a minor league game for a Texas Rangers affiliate.
Tichenor said he didn’t think umpires needed to start wearing helmets.
“This one was just 100 mph off the bat,” Tichenor said. “We’re taught to go opposite the ball. He just went into the ball. It happens. We all do it. It just doesn’t hit him in the head usually.”
