Fan Taken To Hospital After Being Hit In The Head By Cody Bellinger Foul
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — A woman at Dodger Stadium was taken to a hospital for precautionary tests after being struck in the head by a foul ball batted by Dodgers star Cody Bellinger during the first inning of Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies.
The young woman was sitting four rows from the field down the first base line Sunday, just beyond protective netting that extends to the end of the visiting dugout. She was hit by a sharp line drive by Bellinger, who checked on her between innings. She at first stayed in her seat and was given an ice pack, but she left about 15 minutes later for further attention.
A first-aid person who treated the woman says she was taken to the hospital for precautionary tests but that she was alert and answering questions. The name of the woman was not released.
Post game, a visibly shaken Bellinger talked to reporters.
"I saw that it hit her face," he said, "So it was tough."
He added, "It's just a scary situation."
It's especially scary to people sitting near the victim -- and those who aren't near at all. Ben Sanchez was on the opposite side of the stadium and he heard the ball hit the woman.
"All I heard was like a hard knock and somebody just going down," he told CBSLA's Greg Mills. "I thought it was a kid at the beginning. It's pretty scary."
Linda Goldbloom, 79, died last August 29 after being struck in the head by a foul ball at Dodger Stadium four days earlier.
All 30 major league stadiums expanded protective netting to at least the far ends of the dugouts at the start of the 2018 season after several fans were injured by foul balls two years ago.
Fan safety has received further scrutiny after a young girl was struck by a foul ball in Houston during a game on May 29. Chicago Cubs player Albert Almora Jr. was inconsolable during and after that game. He was comforted by a security guard and video or him bursting into tears and hugging the female guard went viral.
Very little has been written about the 4-year-old girl since the incident. But Almora has said, ""God willing, I'll be able to have a relationship with this little girl for the rest of my life. Just prayers right now. That's all I really can control."
The Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals recently announced that they will extend their netting to the foul poles.
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