Luis Salazar, Braves Minor League Manager, Struck in Face by Baseball and Airlifted to Hospital

Luis Salazar, the manager for the minor league Atlanta Braves affiliate at Lynchburg, was struck in the face by a hard foul ball off the bat of catcher Brian McCann in a spring training game and immediately airlifted to a local hospital.

Salazar was watching Atlanta play the St Louis Cardinals from the Braves dugout in a spring training game when Braves All-Star McCann lined a foul ball directly to the railing. The ball hit Salazar in the face and he immediately fell to the ground as Braves players signaled for medical attention.

According to Braves radio station WFOM, Salazar need oxygen administered and the situation was very serious.

The game was stopped as medical staff and players gathered around Salazar, who was placed on a stretcher and taken from the ballpark by ambulance. He was then airlifted to a local hospital.

When the game resumed McCann swung once for a third strike and was then taken out of the game by the Braves.