Frightening injury forces George Springer to leave the game

Toronto Blue Jays' outfielder George Springer left Monday's loss against the Baltimore Orioles in the ninth inning after getting hit in the head with a fastball from relief pitcher Kade Strowd. Springer stayed down for several minutes before being helped up by the Blue Jays' training staff and was able to walk on his own volition.

Springer was 0-3 on the night before the hit by pitch as the Blue Jays fell to the Orioles 11-4 at Camden Yards. Blue Jays manager John Schneider provided an update on the outfielder in his postgame scrum with the media.

"He's doing alright. It caught him more on the shoulder, then helmet, which, thankfully, he was able to turn a little bit," said Schneider. "That's the worst part about baseball for any side, when a pitch gets that high. You don't think about baseball, you think about the human. [Springer] was alert the whole time. He was talking to me, Voon [Chong], Jose [Ministral], while he was laying down there, which is a good thing."

In his fifth year with the Blue Jays, Springer has slowly gone back to his old hitting ways, hitting .291 with 18 home runs and 57 RBIs. He's posted a 2.6 WAR, ranking third amongst the Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays also lost Alejandro Kirk to the seven-day injured list for a concussion this past Sunday after getting a foul tip to his helmet against the Tigers.

The timing of the Springer's hit comes at a crucial time for the Blue Jays, with the trade deadline just days away. Should Springer hit the injured list, they may be forced to pivot into prioritizing a power bat despite their need for pitching.