The odds of being hit directly in the head while sitting in the outfield stands could be one in a million, but much like boxing, attending a baseball game can be a “protect yourself at all times” type of deal.
A female fan found herself on the wrong end of a Ketel Marte leadoff home run Sunday in the first inning of the Mets’ 5-4 loss to the Diamondbacks, when she was drilled in the head by said ball.
Mets pitcher Jose Quintana threw a 78-mph curveball that Marte deposited over the left-center wall with an exit velocity of 104 mph.
Said fan attempted to catch the ball but it instead flew through her hands, appearing to hit her in the head.
The ball then bounced toward the Mets’ home run apple in center field, with the Arizona TV broadcast showing her holding her head with support from others nearby.
A Mets staffer appeared to arrive immediately to attend to the injured fan at Citi Field, although it’s unclear if she was treated for any injuries.
It’s also unknown if the fan stuck around for the remainder of the game.
Sunday’s incident comes on the heels of a Blue Jays fan revealing the grisly impact of a 110-mph ball that struck the individual last month.
Blue Jays fan Liz McGuire posted photos of the aftermath that showed a swelled-shut right eye and a hematoma on her forehead.
She was tended to by the team’s medical staff and said she went to the hospital afterward to get an X-ray on her face.
After the game, McGuire revealed on social media she didn’t get the ball and asked the Blue Jays to “hook a girl up.”
Instead, Topps Trading Cards took the opportunity to make 100 prints of her hematoma on a baseball card.
Marte also inflicted further damage on the Mets when he swatted a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning off Jake Dieman that provided the game’s final runs.