Jorge Mateo is in concussion protocol after the Orioles’ second baseman was struck in the back of the helmet accidentally by the bat of teammate Cedric Mullins.
The pair had been in the on-deck circle getting ready for the bottom of the fourth inning when Mateo bent down to pick up an added weight and Mullins’ back came down on his teammate’s head.
Mateo was scheduled to bat second in the inning, but he left the game.
“I was getting loose with kind of like a circle stretch, pretty normal stuff,” Mullins said, according to the Baltimore Sun. “And he was right behind me. I didn’t see him.”
Mullins added that he seemed to be “doing OK” when he saw Mateo in the Orioles’ clubhouse kitchen following the game.
The Orioles were hosting the Rays in what became a 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters after the game that the infielder would get more testing done.
“We’re just waiting to see,” Hyde said. “He’s going to get some more tests and then we’re going to see how he feels tomorrow.”
There is a seven-day injured list that Major League Baseball has for players dealing with concussion symptoms.
Before getting caught in the head by the bat, Mateo had gone 1-for-1 on Sunday with an infield single.
Mateo had become the Orioles regular second baseman and Ramón Urías pinch hit for Mateo in the fourth.
Hyde later moved Urías to third and put Jordan Westburg at second base.
The 28-year-old Orioles player has been hitting.246/.294/.447 while recording 12 doubles, a triple, three homers, 13 RBIs, 19 runs and 10 stolen bases.
As of now, it is unclear if Mateo will miss any time on the field for the Orioles because of the incident.