The Braves faced a very scary moment in yesterday’s spring training game when Minor League Manager Luis Salazar was struck in the face in the dugout by a Brian McCann line drive foul ball.  Salazar immediately fell to the dugout floor face first unconscious his face covered in blood.  Many in the dugout thought that he was dead at that moment.  Fortunately, that was not the case.

The staff at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex were first on seen to offer treatment to the badly injured Salazar.  He was then transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center where later he started to show some signs of consciousness and was breathing on his own.  Salazar was struck as he stood near the padded top railing in the dugout by the McCann line drive foul.  The ball is said to have hit the left side of his face near his eye.  He fell immediately to the dugout floor after being struck.

Braves catcher Brian McCann was visibly shaken and even though he went back to the plate after a long delay to finish his at bat, he swung half-heartedly at the ball and struck out and then immediately removed himself from the game.  Most of the Braves team and management felt as though they were not at all present for the rest of the game.  There was some consideration to stopping the game at one point.  Braves general manager Frank Wren said that he did not remember anything about the game itself.  Not who pitched, not what happened, nothing.  He said that his and the team’s focus was entirely on Salazar, his condition and his family.

Salazar was reported to have multiple facial fractures and that he would need to undergo more tests to determine the extent of the damage and the course of treatment.  Braves fans wish Salazar a complete recovery.