Hunter Wendelstedt, who was officiating as the first-base umpire during the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins game, suffered a minor injury when he was struck in the head by a foul ball. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza confirmed after the game that Wendelstedt was ‘fine’ and grateful to not have sustained serious damage after the incident occurred late in the seventh inning.

Wendelstedt appeared to turn away just before the ball impacted him, and remained on the ground for several minutes as trainers attended to him. Despite the injury, he managed to walk off the field unassisted.

The startling moment transpired with one out in the innings; Mets outfielder Tyrone Taylor was at bat when he fouled off a pitch from Louie Varland, resulting in the injury. Taylor visibly showed concern as Wendelstedt received care from trainers. He completed his at-bat after Wendelstedt exited the field, resulting in a groundout.

Following the incident, Adam Hamari took over as first-base umpire, with the rest of the game managed by a three-umpire crew.

Background

Wendelstedt became a major league umpire in 1999 and has officiated games alongside his father, Harry Wendelstedt, a distinguished National League umpire for 33 years. Hunter has been recognized for his distinguished career, which includes working the All-Star Game and the World Series, among numerous other postseason events. Furthermore, he was the home-plate umpire during Sean Manaea’s no-hitter in 2018.