Josh Thole thinks it’s possible he has had three concussions in his life, including one earlier this season, so the Mets catcher unfortunately knows what teammate Jason Bay must have been dealing with last night.
In the second inning of the Mets’ 7-3 loss to the Reds, Bay smashed head-first into the left-field fence while unsuccessfully trying to catch a fly ball hit by Jay Bruce. He left the game immediately, and manager Terry Collins said it appears he has a concussion. If so, it would be Bay’s second in less than two years.
“I know how he feels. I know exactly what he’s doing right now,” Thole said. “He’s probably passed out in his bedroom in the dark. Anytime the light shines in your eyes, the noise, when you get that it’s the worst. I feel for him. I spent 10 days laying in my bed not moving because of [a concussion].”
This was a bad case of history repeating itself for Bay, who continues to be unable to stay healthy. The Mets announced late last night that Justin Turner, on the disabled list with a sprained ankle, was en route to New York with the likelihood of being activated today. That means Bay seems headed for at least the seven-day concussion disabled list, but if he’s only out for that length of time, it would be an incredible blessing. Bay suffered a concussion on July 23, 2010 when he crashed into a Dodger Stadium fence and did not play again that year.
“I just hope he gets out of this and recovers,” Collins said. “Because I’m pretty concerned about it right now.”
He should be. Bay was able to walk off the field under his own power — he even got up and threw the ball in after the collision — but the Mets had security accompany him home last night because he was, in Collins’ words, “pretty woozy.”
The fateful play occurred when Bruce smacked a drive to deep left. Bay attempted to make a running backhanded catch, but couldn’t get to the ball. He slid onto the warning track and into the fence, something David Wright termed “scary.” Bruce ended up with an inside-the-park homer.
Collins and trainer Ray Ramirez came out to left field to check on Bay. He was replaced by Scott Hairston.
“He just said he was dizzy,” Collins said.
Added Wright: “It [stinks]. You’re just at a loss for words.”
Bay, who returned last Friday from a six-week absence due to a fractured rib, has been a massive disappointment as a Met, hampered by both injuries and under-performance. The 33-year-old is in the third season of a four-year $66 million deal and as a Met has failed to bat higher than .259, hit more than 12 homers or drive in more than 57 runs. This season he’s hitting .187 with four homers and six RBIs in 22 games.
Since Bay’s return, the Mets had been dealing with an outfield logjam, with Bay, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Lucas Duda, Andres Torres and Hairston in the mix. Collins was unsure last night who would handle left field if Bay is out but admitted a Torres-Hairston platoon was “legit.”
Should Bay need to go on the DL for an extended time, an intriguing replacement would be Matt den Dekker, who hit .340 with eight homers at Double-A this year and is now at Triple-A.