MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Home plate umpire Paul Emmel took a broken bat off his right leg in the third inning of a game between the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays, but remained in the game.
Twins catcher Joe Mauer’s bat splintered when he connected with a pitch from David Price, and the barrel slammed into Emmel’s right leg. The sound of the impact caused Mauer to look back as he trotted to first base while Price threw him out.
Trainers rushed out to check on Emmel, peeling the shin protector off his leg. But after a few minutes, Emmel strapped the guard back on and went right back to calling the game without even walking it off.
