KANSAS CITY — Umpire Brian O’Nora was released from a local hospital today after suffering a cut on his forehead from a shattered bat during the Rockies-Royals game Tuesday. He will not work tonight’s game for precautionary reasons.
“I spoke to Brian O’Nora today, and so far so good,” Mike Port, major league baseball’s supervisor of umpires, told The Denver Post.
According to Port, O’Nora plans to be at Kauffman Stadium tonight for the series finale between the Rockies and Kansas City Royals. But he has been replaced for the evening, 24 hours after Miguel Olivo’s maple wood bat broke and hit him in the head. O’Nora ran toward the Royals’ dugout after being struck as blood streamed from the cut. After a 13-minute delay, an existing member of the crew replaced O’Nora behind home plate.
“The nature of umpires is such, that I am sure that Brian is not happy about not getting to work tonight. But he will be standing down for precautionary reasons,” Port said.
It was the latest incident to show why major league baseball’s safety and health committee has commissioned a study on the dangers of broken bats. The committee is gathering data and will reconvene soon, with the use of maple bats becoming a growing concern because of the way they shatter.
Olivo switched to an ash bat after the incident. Catcher Yorvit Torrealba grew sick to his stomach when he saw the blood on O’Nora’s face.
“It was tough. I just wish him the best. He’s a good umpire,” Torrealba said.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
