Umpire Nick Mahrley hit by broken bat, exits Rockies-Yankees

NEW YORK — Home plate umpire Nick Mahrley sustained a concussion and was carted off the field at Yankee Stadium on Sunday afternoon after being hit by the barrel of Giancarlo Stanton’s broken bat.

Major League Baseball said that Mahrley will undergo more testing over the next few days, and he will not work the first series of next week at a minimum.

“We’re definitely all hoping the best for Nick,” said the Yanks’ Aaron Judge. “They’ve got a tough job back there. It’s not easy; you’ve got both benches yelling at you throughout the game on balls and strikes, you’ve got to make split [second] decisions, you’ve got players mad at you.

“You’re trying to do your best, and [to] get squared upon the side of the head with a bat, it’s tough. To see him get carted off wasn’t easy.”

The play occurred in the fifth inning of the Yankees’ 10-3 win over the Rockies, as Stanton’s bat shattered on a single to left field off left-hander Austin Gomber.

The barrel of the bat appeared to strike Mahrley, a second-year Major League umpire, on the left side of his neck. Mahrley immediately fell to his knees, though he alertly tracked the conclusion of the play before time was called.

Mahrley remained at home plate for several minutes, being attended to by medical personnel, before being strapped into a stretcher and carted off through the loading dock in left-center field.

“That was a tough one,” said Rockies manager Bud Black. “When you see a neck brace and a stretcher, those are not at all good things. Hopefully, Nick will be OK. Those umpires are good guys. They’re a big part of our game, and they’re exposed every night behind the plate, just like a catcher.”

The Yankees said that Mahrley was being evaluated by the team’s medical staff and would go through a full battery of tests. Crew chief Marvin Hudson moved behind the plate, with a three-man crew working the rest of the game.

“Talking to Hunter [Wendelstedt] and the other umpires, I think he’s getting good care,” Gomber said. “Hopefully, he can have a quick recovery, and we can see him back out before the season is over.”