Baltimore Orioles Slugging Prospect Still Dealing with Concussion Symptoms

It seemed like the Baltimore Orioles star prospect was OK after getting hit in the head with a baseball, but he is still dealing with concussion symptoms which will force him to miss time.

Jul 12, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad (13) lays on the ground after being hit by a pitch in the head during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Oriole Park at Camden Yards / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Back on July 12, there was a scary moment for the Baltimore Orioles when their star prospect Heston Kjerstad went down in a heap after getting hit in the helmet with a fastball. That sparked a heated exchange between their manager Brandon Hyde and the New York Yankees bullpen.

At the time, Kjerstad appeared to be fine, but he was placed on the seven-day concussion list a day later.

When the Orioles activated him on July 20, he looked like a completely different player.

In his seven games following that incident, Kjerstad went 2-for-18. He was 14-for-36 with five extra-base hits, three homers, and 12 RBI in his 14 games before he was hit in the helmet.

Now it's been revealed that the top prospect is still dealing with concussion symptoms.

"We had him checked out by team doctors and then had him referred to a concussion specialist and it was agreed by the physicians that he's to remain under concussion protocol. We will back off on his activities. He'll be able to do some controlled level of activities, and hopefully this isn't too long, but that's where it lies right now," general manager Mike Elias said per Roch Kubatko of MASN.

Baltimore officially moved him to the 10-day Major League injured list.

This was a surprise considering he had been optioned to their Triple-A affiliate on August 1, but this now reverses that move since he's being listed on MLB's IL.

It will be interesting to see what comes of this.

Concussion symptoms can linger and affect a player for an extended period of time, something that was clear for Kjerstad after he was plunked with a fastball.

Hopefully this extended time away from the game allows him to fully recover since he'll be working with the medical staff with the sole focus on making sure those symptoms are no longer present.