DENVER — Colorado Rockies pitcher Ryan Feltner was hospitalized for tests after he was hit by a line drive during Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The scary scene occurred in the second inning at Coors Field, The Denver Post reported. With the Rockies trailing 4-0, Felter threw a slider to Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos, who hit a line drive back up the middle.
The ball struck Feltner in the back side of his head and was measured at 92.7 mph when it hit him. The impact caused Feltner to drop to the ground near the mound, according to The Associated Press. The ball was deflected to first baseman C.J. Cron, but Castellano was safe.
The right-hander, in his third major-league season, stayed on the ground for several minutes before he rose to his feet and walked off the field with the assistance of two Rockies staff members, the Post reported.
“(Feltner) is undergoing a litany of tests,” Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters after the Rockies’ 7-4 loss. “We’ll know more in the morning.”
Peter Lambert relieved Feltner and pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings.
“It’s not much you can do in this situation other than keep (Feltner) in your thoughts,” Lambert said, according to the Post. “We really don’t know much.”
Castellanos told reporters that he was in contact with Rockies players about Feltner’s status.
“There was a part of me that wanted to go to the mound, but I guess the baseball player takes over and you run to first,” Castellanos said. “As soon as I touched first I turned around and was really hoping what just happened didn’t happen.”
Castellanos said that he had a lot of “remorse, concern, worry.”
" I don’t know, I’ve turned into a softy since I had kids,” Castellanos told reporters. “I don’t like stuff like that.”