Yanks' Gonzalez exits after catcher's throw hits him on head

MILWAUKEE (AP) — New York Yankees first baseman Marwin Gonzalez left Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers after getting hit on the head by a throw from catcher Victor Caratini while standing in the batter’s box.

Caratini had just received a pitch from Brandon Woodruff and was attempting to get the ball back to the pitcher, but the catcher’s throw instead struck the left-handed-hitting Gonzalez on the left side of his helmet.

Gonzalez was examined by an athletic trainer for a few minutes before getting removed from the game. Caratini reacted apologetically as soon as his throw hit Gonzalez.

“He took a pretty good shot, better than I thought,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the Brewers' 4-1 victory. “He had a pretty good mark on his face when I went up there to check on him. Trainers just felt like he needed to get out of there at that point. He wanted to stay in. I don’t think it’s anything that’s going to put him down, but we’ll see how we’re doing through the night.”

Boone said he had seen instances before in which a catcher’s throw went off a batter’s bat or helmet but couldn’t remember a time when “a guy's got it that good and had to come out of the game.”

Boone added that Gonzalez got evaluated and it didn't appear he'd have to go into concussion protocol.

This marked the second straight night that Gonzalez had to leave a game early. He was removed from the Yankees’ 7-6 loss to the Brewers on Friday due to an illness.

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