Young fan in Philadelphia hit by line drive, taken to hospital

PHILADELPHIA -- A boy sitting in the front row was hit by a line drive Friday night late in the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies.

A spokesman for the Phillies said the boy was taken to a hospital for further evaluation.

The young fan was seated along the first-base line when he was struck by a sharp foul ball off the bat of Philadelphia's Domonic Brown with two outs in the ninth inning.

Fans around the boy immediately motioned for medical help. After being helped out of the stands, the boy was transported in the arms of a man on a cart to the first-aid center on the concourse. The boy appeared to be conscious while holding an ice pack on his upper chest close to his left shoulder.

A medical worker inside the first-aid center declined to comment on the boy's condition or provide any further information, citing HIPAA regulations.

It was the second time in two weeks a fan was noticeably injured at a Major League Baseball game. Tonya Carpenter, 44, suffered what police initially said were life-threatening injuries when she was hit in the head by a broken bat during a game between the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics at Fenway Park on June 5.

Commissioner Rob Manfred said the sport must "react strongly" to that accident, and MLB is studying whether the protective netting behind home plate should be extended.

Carpenter's condition improved, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center said last week she had been discharged and transferred to a rehabilitation center.