Triple-A catcher Payton Henry hospitalized after being hit in the head with a backswing

Payton Henry, a Triple-A catcher in the Toronto Blue Jays system, was taken to hospital after being hit in the head by a backswing during a game.

The Buffalo Bisons announced that Henry was “appropriately alert and responsive” after being taken to the hospital for evaluation.

The incident occurred in the seventh inning of the Buffalo Bisons-Syracuse Mets game when Pablo Reyes swung and his backswing caught Henry in the left side of his helmet.

According to Michael Avallone of MLB.com, Henry’s catcher’s mask fell off and he fell forward before rolling onto his back in pain.

“As Buffalo athletic trainer and manager Casey Candaele knelt down next to Henry, he grabbed his head. The coach immediately called the Syracuse dugout for emergency services. emergency,” Avallone wrote.

Henry was placed on a board to stabilize his movements and loaded into an ambulance before being transported to a local hospital.

The game was stopped in the seventh inning after the incident following a conference between Candaele, Syracuse manager Dick Scott and the umpires to discuss whether they wanted to continue.

Henry is in his first season in the Toronto farm system. The 26-year-old was a sixth-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2016 and spent seven years in their system. He signed with the Blue Jays as a minor league free agent in December.