Chicago Cubs outfielder Tyler Colvin is in the hospital Sunday after a broken bat punctured his chest.
Colvin was on third base in the second inning of Chicago’s game against the Marlins when Cubs catcher Wellington Castillo shattered his bat hitting a double. A piece of the bat struck Colvin, puncturing the area under the left side of his collarbone.
Colvin scored on the play, but Blake DeWitt entered as a defensive replacement for him in the next half-inning. Colvin was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he now rests in stable condition.
Although it’s unknown what type of bat Castillo was using, the safety of maple bats has been called into question several times over the past few seasons. Maple bats are stronger than ash bats, but when they shatter, they are more likely to do so in large shards.
Colvin, a rookie, was hitting .255 with 20 home runs and 55 RBIs as of Sunday’s game. A team spokesman said Colvin had minimal external bleeding, but his status for the remainder of the season is uncertain.
