Ryan Freel...GOING to the hospital...

[The Lovedoc]

I was watching the game.. He made a great catch and almost collided with the RF..He did a 180 in the air and landed wrong.. Might have did something to his neck.

[Chado1]

Yea I'm at work and was wondering why the ticker kept saying top 3rd with 1 out for like 10 mins...so thats what happened...wow....hope he is alright....

[pm530]

From the MLB glog on this game....

A very scary moment in the third inning: Freel and Hopper collided while trying to get to a fly ball in right center. Freel somehow made the catch, but had a whiplash reaction as he fell on the warning track, hitting his head and his shoulder. He lay motionless on the field for several minutes in the very position in which he landed facing the base of the outfield wall.

There was a lengthy delay, with team doctors doing everything they could to avoid any movement in Freel's neck. They took him off the field in an ambulance and the stadium was eerily quiet as all this happened. Ken Griffey Jr., who was out of the game getting an off day, came into the game and was put into right field. Hopper was moved into center. We'll have more on Freel as we learn about his status.

[pm530]

Update

Player News

Ryan Freel was injured in a serious collision with Norris Hopper on Monday. He collided with Hopper in mid-air, was spun around and smacked his head on the warning track. Medical personnel placed him in an immobile neck brace before putting him on a stretcher and loading him into an ambulance on the field.
(Updated 05/28/2007).

Injury Report
Neck, back, head - Doubtful for May 29-31 series at Houston
(Updated - 5/28/07)

[TMAC951]

SHIT!! I have him on 2 of my fantasy teams! But more importantly I hope he is ok..

[TMAC951]

Good news from this update..

Freel taken by ambulance from stadium after collision
Associated Press

Updated: May 28, 2007, 2:41 PM ET

CINCINNATI -- Reds center fielder Ryan Freel had feeling in all of his extremities and was coherent after colliding with right fielder Norris Hopper on Monday.

Freel, known for his all-out play, was down for 13 minutes while being examined and was taken off the field on stretcher.

The frightening scene took place in the third inning of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Freel and Hopper chased a ball hit by Humberto Cota leading off the inning. Freel caught the ball on the warning track and his left arm was run into by Hopper. Freel was twirled around to his left and fell at the base of the wall.

After being examined by Reds trainers and physicians, Freel was turned over on his back, strapped to a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and taken to Good Samaritan Hospital.

The Reds announced Freel's condition in the fourth inning. He was scheduled for further exams.

Hopper remained in the game.

Freel, hitting .253 entering the game, was replaced by Ken Griffey Jr.

[pm530]

Ryan Freel Is OK After a Scary Collision

After signing a contract extension six weeks ago, Ryan Freel joked that it meant he could afford to be even crazier than normal on the baseball field. Everyone laughed it off then, but Freel created quite a scary moment on the field in Cincy today when he collided with Norris Hopper and stayed down on the field for like fifteen minutes because being taken off on a stretcher and out of Great American Ballpark in an ambulance.

Anytime a player has to leave the field on a stretcher is a scary thing, but reports now say that Freel is going to be alright after suffering only contusions to his head and neck. Yeah, I said "only" head and neck contusions. After seeing replays, yeah, Freel is lucky things weren't worse. He ran into Hopper at full speed with his head twisting at a funny angle, then fell unbroken onto the warning track.

Oh yeah, and Freel made the catch. After colliding with Norris Hopper at full speed and hitting him so hard that he lost feeling in his extremities (which he's since regained) and may have actually knocked himself unconscious (he laid motionless on the field for quite some time after the play), he still held on an made the catch. This is why everyone loves Ryan Freel.

[bryce]

What a collision...held onto the ball as well...I hope this man returns soon. He is one bright spot the Reds have!!