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Dallas / Fort Worth Sports

MLB Umpire Injured By Broken Maple Bat

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: Home plate umpire Brian O'Nora is helped by Kansas City Royals training staff after getting hit by a broken bat during the second inning of a game between the Kansas City Royals and the Colorado Rockies in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday.
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In Kansas City, Mo., plate umpire Brian O'Nora was hit in the head by a shattered piece of Miguel Olivo's broken maple bat, sending blood streaming down his face and forcing him out of a game between the Royals and Colorado Rockies.

The Royals later announced that O'Nora had a small cut on his forehead and was taken to St. Luke's Hospital for further evaluation.

The Royals won the game, 7-3.

The frightening scene came only hours after a player-management safety committee discussed the potential danger of maple bats at its first meeting. Following the session, baseball said it will start testing bats, but the sport made no decision on the contentious issue of banning maple models.

Some say maple bats splinter with greater force than those made of ash, and commissioner Bud Selig said last month that shattering maple bats are "a source of concern for me."

"They are very, very dangerous. I'm surprised that this is the first incident we've seen," Royals manager Trey Hillman said, referring to O'Nora's injury. "It could have been worse, a lot worse. It looked a lot worse than it was. There was a lot of blood. My understanding is that he is OK."