CLEVELAND — Major League Baseball umpire Larry Vanover remained hospitalized Thursday after being hit in the head with a relay throw during Wednesday's game between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians.
Vanover was struck on the left side of his head in the fifth inning by a throw from Guardians All-Star Andrés Giménez. Vanover, 67, was standing between second base and the pitching mound when he got hit.
The impact knocked Vanover to the ground, and the frightening moment elicited a collective gasp from the Progressive Field crowd.
Vanover was taken to the Cleveland Clinic, where he was checked for a concussion and other medical issues. He was kept in the hospital overnight for observation, and there was no immediate word on when he'll be released. «That was scary,» said plate umpire Chris Guccione, who worked the rest of the game with a three-man crew. «Very hard to focus after that, after you see a colleague get hit.» Vanover will need to be cleared by MLB doctors before he can return to the field.