Fan struck by foul ball at White Sox-Nationals game, taken to hospital for observation
A fan sitting in the stands at Guaranteed Rate Field was struck in the head by a foul ball on Monday night during the Chicago White Sox’s game against the Washington Nationals.
The woman was sitting several rows above the White Sox’s dugout on the third base side at Guaranteed Rate Field on Monday night when outfielder Eloy Jimenez drilled a foul ball her way in the fourth inning.
The fan was seen bleeding around her head and was covered with a towel before walking up to the concourse with stadium personnel, according to the Chicago Sun Times. The woman left the stadium under her own power, but went to the hospital where she will be kept overnight for observation and is communicative, a White Sox spokesperson told the Sun Times.
Protective netting at the field extends only to the end of the dugouts on each side, which is compliant with Major League Baseball rules. Extending the netting at stadiums around the league has been a growing topic of concern in recent years, especially after Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. hit a foul ball that struck a young fan at Minute Maid Park late last month.
MLB required all 30 ballparks in the league to extend their protective netting to the end of the dugouts in 2018, however commissioner Rob Manfred said last week that he doesn’t see any changes coming to the league this season.
“It's very difficult given how far the clubs have gone with the netting to make changes during the year, because they really are structural issues,” Manfred said. “But because safety is so important, I'm sure that conversation will begin and continue into the offseason.”
The White Sox fell to the Nationals 12-1 on Monday night, giving up 16 total hits and six runs in the final inning.
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