Colorado Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner was placed on the injured list on Sunday after sustaining a skull fracture and concussion during Saturday night's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Feltner was struck in the head by a Nick Castellanos line drive in the second inning. He remained down on the mound before being assisted off the field by the Rockies' training staff.
"What we found out was he has a small skull fracture and he's concussed … but overall, he's fine," Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters, including MLB.com's Thomas Harding. "The feeling's that it could have been worse, obviously. But he's going to miss some time."
Black added that Feltner did not require surgery, that he was in contact with coaches and teammates after the game, and that he could be allowed to visit the ballpark as soon as Monday or Tuesday.
Feltner, 26, heads to the shelf having appeared in eight games this season. He's accumulated a 5.86 ERA (86 ERA+) and a 1.32 strikeout-to-walk ratio over the course of 35 innings. Saturday's outing was the 30th of his career.
Feltner is the second big-league pitcher to be struck in the head by a batted ball in the past week. Kansas City Royals lefty Ryan Yarbrough suffered multiple nondisplaced fractures around his right eye during last Sunday's game against the Oakland Athletics. Yarbrough has since been released from the hospital.
The Rockies replaced Feltner on the active roster by promoting right-handed reliever Riley Pint to the majors. Pint, the No. 4 pick in the 2016 draft, had previously stepped away from the game before later returning to an active role. In 13 appearances this season at Triple-A, he's compiled a 7.41 ERA and a 1.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
