Rays prospect Tyler Zombro in stable condition after being hit in the head by line drive

Thursday’s Triple-A game between Durham and Norfolk was suspended

Scary moment during Thursday night’s game between the Triple-A Durham Bulls (Rays) and Norfolk Tides (Orioles). Bulls right-hander Tyler Zombro was hit in the head by a line drive from Tides catcher Brett Cumberland, and collapsed face-first to the ground and began convulsing. He was eventually carried off the field on a stretcher.

The Rays have since announced Zombro is in stable condition at a local hospital, and will undergo further tests. Here is the team’s statement from Thursday night:

“Tyler Zombro was transported to Duke University Hospital in Durham and is in stable condition. He is currently undergoing further treatment and observation. Additional updates will be provided as they become available. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tyler, his family and his teammates.”

Friday morning, the Rays issued a follow-up statement:

As of this morning, Tyler remains under the care of the nurses and doctors at Duke University Hospital. The updates from overnight have been positive, and he remains in stable condition. We are overwhelmed by the support for Tyler and the wishes for his full and speedy recovery from fans and the baseball community alike. We will provide additional updates as he progresses.

The incident occurred in the eighth inning and the Bulls later announced the game has been suspended, and will be resumed at a later date. Other minor league teams and players offered thoughts and well wishes for Zombro, as did former MLB pitcher Brandon McCarthy.

McCarthy was hit in the head by a line drive in Sept. 2012 and needed emergency surgery to relieve cranial pressure. He suffered an epidural hemorrhage, a brain contusion, and skull fractures.

Zombro, 26, signed with the Rays as an undrafted free agent out of George Mason University in 2017. He reached Triple-A in 2019 and allowed four runs in 11 1/3 innings this season going into Thursday’s game. Zombro was George Mason’s all-time leader in starts (55) and innings (318 1/3) when he left school.