Orioles' Mateo exits after taking bat to head in on-deck circle
Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jorge Mateo left Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays after his teammate's bat hit him in the head.
The 28-year-old was bent over in the on-deck circle picking up a weight when Cedric Mullins inadvertently struck the top of Mateo's helmet with his bat.
Cedric Mullins accidentally hit Jorge Mateo in the on deck circle with his bat and knocked him out the game…
— Barstool Baseball (@StoolBaseball) June 2, 2024
Hoping it’s not serious pic.twitter.com/MYKMhno4kB
After retreating into the dugout in visible pain, Mateo left with the team's training staff.
"I was getting loose looking at the pitcher, and I did a circle stretch, just pretty normal stuff," Mullins said postgame, per The Associated Press' Noah Trister. "He was right behind me - didn't even see him."
Mateo is in concussion protocol and will undergo more tests, according to MASN's Roch Kubatko.
Ramón Urias hit for Mateo and stayed in the game at third base.