Baseball fan hit by broken bat has 'life-threatening injuries’

The incident occurred during Boston Red Sox’s 4-2 home win over Oakland Athletics on Friday, with a hospital spokeswoman stating that all the information was still being gathered regarding the woman’s condition and identity.

The Major League Baseball match was stopped during the second innings as emergency crews tended to the woman after the broken bat hit her in the face.

The freak accident occurred when Oakland’s Brett Lawrie’s bat snapped on a groundout to second base for the second out of the innings. After the third innings the game was suspended as the woman, sitting with her husband and son in the second row, was treated.

She was later taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, while Police said the woman’s injuries were life-threatening.

“You try to keep her in your thoughts and, hopefully, everything’s all right and try to get back to the task at hand,” Lawrie said after being asked how he would be able to refocus after what happened.

“Hopefully everything’s OK and she’s doing all right. I’ve seen bats fly out of guys’ hands in(to) the stands and everyone’s OK, but when one breaks like that, has jagged edges on it, anything can happen.”

An onlooker, who was sitting in the row behind the woman, told the Guardian: “It was violent,” he said of the impact to her forehead and top of her head. “She bled a lot. A lot. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that.”

Red Sox manager John Farrell said: “First and foremost, our thoughts and concern, and certainly our prayers, go out to the woman that was struck with the bat, her and her family.

“All you can think about is a family, they come to a ballgame to hopefully get three hours of enjoyment, and unfortunately with how close our stands are to the field of action, an accident like this tonight is certainly disturbing.”