Referee is carried off the pitch after Giancarlo Stanton's broken racket causes horrific injury

New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton has one of the most violent hitters in the major leagues, so it's best to be cautious when Stanton breaks a bat. An umpire was completely surprised after Stanton's batting appearance when the broken bat hit him in the throat.

Home plate umpire Nick Mahrley quickly dropped to the turf after Stanton's swing caused a pop-up. After play was stopped for a few minutes, Mahrley was carried off the field to applause. Fortunately, Mahrley appeared to be OK, but he will be treated by the training staff and given further instructions over the next few hours.

This is far from the first time a broken bat has caused injury at an MLB game. Perhaps the most notable injury occurred to Tyler Colvin of the Chicago Cubs, who was hit in the dugout and ended up being hospitalized. At the moment, it looked like Colvin had only suffered a cut on his bat, but it turns out that at least one of his lungs was in danger after he was hit in the chest.

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MLB has since put up netting to protect fans from projectiles, whether broken bats or line drives, but the dugouts remain unprotected and players are forced to be alert during every single at-bat.

Umpires are at risk from broken bats, foul balls in the dirt, and even botched backswings. Professional baseball is not an easy job, whether you're a player, coach, or umpire. Far too many people have learned this the hard way. You'd think that MLB could put more protective measures in place to at least prevent injuries in the dugout, but umpires sit right behind home plate.

We hope Mahrley recovers quickly and gets the attention he needs.