DENVER, COLORADO: In the second inning of a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday night, Colorado Rockies pitcher Ryan Feltner was hit in the head by a line drive, but he walked off the field on his own. Philadelphia's Nick Castellanos lined a 92.7 mph, 1-0 slider back to the pitcher. The ball sailed off the right side of Feltner's head. CJ Cron, the first baseman, received the ball after it was deflected, and the right-hander dropped to the ground. With a single, Castellanos was safe.
Two Colorado training staffers rushed to the mound as Feltner lay on his stomach with his eyes squinted. With the audience quiet, Feltner slowly sat up and rose to his feet. As the crowd at Coors Field applauded, Feltner, 26, walked away with the assistance of two staff members.
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Feltner walked four batters in a 40-pitch first inning that gave the Phillies a 4-0 lead. After retiring the first two batters in the second inning, he gave up a double to Bryce Harper before bringing Castellanos in.
In 2018, the Rockies selected Feltner in the fourth round. He came into the game with a 2-2 record and 33 strikeouts in 35 1/3 innings. The Rockies lost 7-4 to Philadelphia, keeping them at the bottom of the NL West, eight and a half games behind the division's first seed, the Los Angeles Dodgers, as reported by DailyMail.
Rockies' statement
"Ryan Feltner is at a local hospital under observation and is undergoing further evaluation," the Rockies' official Twitter account said following Saturday night's loss. There has been no update on the right-hander's injury since.
Ryan Feltner's career
Ryan Donald Feltner, born September 2, 1996, made his major league debut in 2021, as per MLB. Feltner, who studied at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, won the 2015 Plain Dealer Baseball Pitcher of the Year award as a senior in addition to the Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year award for Ohio. Feltner was picked in the 25th round of the 2015 Major League Baseball draughts by the Toronto Blue Jays, but he did not sign and instead played collegiate baseball at Ohio State University, as per reports.
