Braves players Gerald Laird and Chris Johnson visited the young boy who was hospitalized after being hit in the head by a line drive during the Braves’ game against Milwaukee Tuesday night at Turner Field.
Laird and Johnson presented the 8-year-old with a signed bat, shirts, hat, tomahawks and a glove.
The Brewers' Carlos Gomez, who hit the ball, also visited the youngster and signed a baseball for him. Gomez later tweeted that the boy "was in great spirits."
Braves pitcher Julio Teheran was pitching to Gomez in the seventh inning when the Milwaukee player hit a foul ball that was lined into the stands along the first base side, behind the Braves’ dugout. The ball hit the youth, who was tended to by stadium officials. Fans gave an ovation to the boy when he was picked up and carried out.
A team official later released a statement, saying, “The young fan was hit in the head by a ball but conscious and talkative while he was being treated on site before being transferred to the hospital. The team and all of Braves Country have him in our thoughts and prayers.”
Teheran and Gomez were aware of what had happened. Both players kneeled down and play stopped for a couple of minutes.
Teheran said after the game he knew the ball hit a fan and heard the sound of the ball hitting somebody. But he but added, “I didn’t know if it hit a kid or a big person. I knew it was going to hit somebody because it was fast and hard and nobody would have a chance to get (out of the way). … I hope he’s fine.”
