Rangers hitting instructor Howard Johnson hit in face by foul ball
Howard Johnson, a minor league hitting instructor for the Texas Rangers, had to be taken off the field on a stretcher after being hit in the face by a foul ball Saturday.
After he received medical attention, Johnson was taken off the field on a stretcher and had a towel pressed to his face, which was bleeding. He was taken to a local hospital, and there was no report on his condition.
According to the multiple media reports, Johnson was leaning on the rail in the Rangers' dugout during Saturday's spring training game when a foul ball off the bat of the Cleveland Indians' Erik Gonzalez caught Johnson squarely on the left cheek, below the eye.
"It was ugly," Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus told reporters. "He was awake and responding to questions, so that was good, but it's scary, and you are worried. We are all part of this family."
The 57-year-old Johnson, who serves as the hitting instructor for the Triple-A Round Rock Express, played 14 years in the major leagues, hitting 228 career home runs and winning World Series titles with the 1984 Detroit Tigers and 1986 New York Mets.
He served as the manager of Class A Down East in the Carolina League last season.
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