Braves reliever Jackson Stephens was diagnosed with a mild concussion that will send him to the seven-day injured list.
And all things considered, that qualifies as great news.
Jackson Stephens has a large welt on his head after getting hit by a liner. USA TODAY Sports
Jackson Stephens exits after being drilled by a comebacker. APThe Atlanta righty was struck in the forehead with 90.4 mph line drive off the bat of St. Louis’ Brendan Donovan on Friday night in a scary moment that necessitated a trip to the hospital.
On Saturday, the Braves shuffled the third-year major leaguer to the IL and announced the scans found no fractures.
Stephens was trying to close out what became an 11-4 victory over the Cardinals in the ninth inning when Donovan’s comebacker struck his head and ricocheted into shallow right field for an RBI single.
The 28-year-old somehow remained on his feet as trainers checked on him. He sported a large welt on his forehead.
“He’s aware and everything, but he’s going to have to go to the hospital and get some tests,” Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters, via ESPN. “It’s always scary when you see somebody get hit in the head, the face. That’s probably the most sickening thing you can witness in a game.”
Stephens has been a valuable threat out of the Atlanta bullpen, having been used in outings as short as one-third of an inning and as long as 3 1/3 innings. Before an all-around rough Friday, he had a 3.30 ERA in 31 games.
The Braves called up right-hander Jay Jackson as the corresponding roster move.
