DENVER — Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio underwent neck surgery Saturday to stabilize a fracture after he was struck in the head by a line drive.
The team said in a statement he was "resting comfortably" at a Denver hospital after surgery on the C-1 vertebrae in his neck.
The rookie right-hander was injured in the second inning Friday night on a liner by Washington's Ian Desmond. The ball slammed into the right side of Nicasio's head and bounced back into foul territory.
Nicasio went down and lay on the mound for several minutes as he was treated by the training staff. He was moved onto a cart by four medical personnel workers. Teammate Todd Helton and manager Jim Tracy assisted.
Rockies head athletic trainer Keith Dugger planned to give an update on Nicasio on Saturday afternoon.