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Update: Omar Infante was not concussed by the Heath Bell pitch that struck him in the head, but according to Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star, he did receive six stitches and sprained his jaw. Just because Infante avoided a concussion doesn't mean the pitch hit him softly, however:
Incidentally, the team says the sprain was on the RIGHT side of the jaw, a result of the force of the impact on the left side.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) April 8, 2014
Kansas City Royals second baseman Omar Infante was hit in the head with a pitch by Heath Bell on Monday night and had to leave Kansas City's game with the Rays as a result.
Infante appeared to be struck in the jaw and was treated by Kansas City's trainers before leaving the game. As you can see, Bell's pitch caught Infante pretty cleanly before the second baseman could get out of the way:
The Royals signed Infante to a four-year, $30.25 million contract this offseason after the 32-year-old hit .318/.345/.450 for the Tigers in 2013. Utility infielder Danny Valencia replaced Infante for the Royals, and he'll likely start in Infante's place.
At the moment, the Royals haven't released any specific information on Infante's injury, although it did look quite serious before Infante headed into the clubhouse. The Kansas City Star's Andy McCullough provided this update:
Omar Infante received stitches and is undergoing tests to determine if his jaw is broken. The team also fears he suffered a concussion.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughStar) April 8, 2014