Triple-A catcher 'responsive' after taking bat to head

Triple-A Buffalo catcher Payton Henry was "alert and appropriately responsive" at a Syracuse, N.Y.-area hospital after he was taken off the field Friday night on a backboard, the team said.

In the seventh inning of the Bisons' game against the Syracuse Mets, Henry was struck by the bat of third baseman Pablo Reyes in the head, behind his left ear. Henry collapsed to the ground and was tended to by medical personnel, who carried him off the field before he was taken to the hospital by ambulance.

The game was called after the injury, with the Mets credited with the 4-2 win.

The Bison, the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, said an update on Henry's condition would be released as information became available.

Henry, 26, was a sixth-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2016 MLB Draft and appeared in 20 games with the Miami Marlins in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, batting .186 with four RBIs.

This season, the Utah native has appeared in 24 games, batting .244 with 3 homers and 17 RBIs at Buffalo.

He signed a minor league deal with the Bison last December and was a non-roster invitee to spring training by the Blue Jays.

Last month, St. Louis Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras suffered a broken left arm with he was hit by the swing of J.D. Martinez of the New York Mets.

--Field Level Media