MILWAUKEE — Despite the initial concern when Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson was hit in the head by a line drive Thursday, it appears the pitcher wasn’t seriously injured.
With the St. Louis Cardinals leading the Brewers 2-0 in the third inning, Nelson gave up a leadoff double to third baseman Matt Carpenter, then threw a 1-1 slider to center fielder Tommy Pham.
Pham ripped the 89 mph pitch right up the middle, hitting Nelson above his ear.
The 26-year-old pitcher fell to the ground, face first, and lay motionless for about a minute. He was helped up by team trainer Dan Wright and was able to walk off the field under his own power.
“I think he escaped without any serious harm,” manager Craig Counsell said. “We’re very, very fortunate. It’s scary. It’s not something you ever want to see.”
Nelson was taken to a local hospital where a CT scan revealed a contusion but no fractures or other serious injury. He was kept overnight for further observation, and Counsell wasn’t sure whether Nelson would be able to make his next scheduled start.
“The next couple days, we’ll have to monitor and make sure he’s OK,” Counsell said. “We’ll go from there.”
Nelson was charged with four runs Thursday and took the loss as the Brewers fell 6-3.
In his first full major league season, Nelson has made 30 starts and is 11-13 with a 4.11 ERA.