Umpire Larry Vanover was taken to the hospital after being hit in the head by a ball during Wednesday’s game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians.
The Yankees were trailing 3-0 in the top of the fifth and had runners on first and second with one out for Kyle Higashioka. Higashioka hit a ball off the wall in center field that scored Oswaldo Cabrera. The Guardians tried to throw out Cabrera at the plate, but Andres Gimenez’s relay throw home hit Vanover in the head, allowing Isaiah Kiner-Falefa to score and Higashioka to reach second.
Crew Chief Larry Vanover left today's Yankees-Guardians game with "a pretty good-sized knot" on his head, ump Chris Guccione said. Vanover was partially coherent, and he didn't even know that he had been hit with the baseball. Vanover is undergoing tests at a nearby hospital.
— Brendan Kuty 🧟♂️ (@BrendanKutyNJ) April 12, 2023
Vanover was able to get up and walk off on his own.
Vanover, who was the crew chief, was taken to the hospital to undergo testing.
Crew Chief Larry Vanover left today's Yankees-Guardians game with "a pretty good-sized knot" on his head, ump Chris Guccione said. Vanover was partially coherent, and he didn't even know that he had been hit with the baseball. Vanover is undergoing tests at a nearby hospital.
— Brendan Kuty 🧟♂️ (@BrendanKutyNJ) April 12, 2023
Umpire Chris Guccione said after the game that Vanover didn’t even realize he had been hit by a ball. Guccione told a pool reporter that Vanover had a good-sized knot on his head from where the throw hit him. Guccione also described Vanover as having somewhat of a “glazed look” despite being coherent.
Vanover is in his 30th year as an MLB umpire.
