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Referee Nick Mahrley hit by broken bat and carried off on a stretcher


Referee Nick Mahrley hit by broken bat and carried off on a stretcher



CNN

Home plate umpire Nick Mahrley was carried off the field on a stretcher during the fifth inning of the game between the host New York Yankees and the Colorado Rockies on Sunday after being hit in the head by a broken bat.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Yankees hitter Giancarlo Stanton’s bat shattered right over his hands as he hit a single into left field against Rockies pitcher Austin Gomber.
The broken shaft of the bat hit Mahrley on the face guard and the referee collapsed on one knee.

Medical personnel quickly rushed to the field to care for Mahrley.

The 41-year-old appeared conscious as he spoke to medical staff behind the home base. The umpire remained on one knee while a neck brace was placed on him.

After 16 minutes, Mahrley was put on a stretcher and taken off the field in an SUV while the Bronx crowd applauded him.

“Nick is being evaluated by the Yankees medical staff and is currently undergoing a battery of tests,” a Major League Baseball official said.

The referee has been diagnosed with a concussion and will undergo further tests in the coming days, a source familiar with the situation said, adding that Mahrley will be unable to work for at least part of next week.

The Rockies posted on X: “We send our best wishes to umpire Nick Mahrley.”

Crew chief Marvin Hudson took over home plate duties when the Yankees were leading 4-3 and the bases were loaded with one out. Umpires Hunter Wendelstedt and John Tumpane shared the remaining duties. The Yankees won the game 10-3 thanks to two home runs by Aaron Judge.

Mahrley has been a full-time major league umpire since the 2023 season after working in the minor leagues since 2007 and being called up to the major leagues for 473 games.

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