What happened to umpire Hunter Wendelstedt during Mets vs. Twins game? All you need to know about the scary incident

Veteran MLB umpire Hunter Wendelstedt was involved in a scary situation during Wednesday's game between the New York Mets and the Minnesota Twins. The first base umpire was struck on the head by a line drive during the seventh inning.

Louis Varland's fastball was struck by Tyrone Taylor in the top of the seventh, with the ball traveling towards Hunter Wendelstedt at first base. Although Wendelstedt tried to take evasive action, it was too late as the ball struck him on the side of the head.

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Wendelstedt fell to the ground immediately and the Twins' training staff rushed to check on the veteran umpire. Wendelstedt left the game after the incident and was sent for further scans.

“Hunter is undergoing additional tests in Minneapolis, and we are encouraged that he was in good spirits when he was in touch with our medical staff. We will continue to monitor his status,” a statement from MLB read.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza reflected on the scary incident, praying for a quick recovery for the 53-year-old first base umpire.

“That was scary,” Mendoza said. “I asked as soon as the game was over. Every time you see something like that, it's just scary, so I'm glad he's doing well. Praying for him."

Tyrone Taylor reflected on the scary Hunter Wendelstedt incident

Following the game, Mets outfielder Tyrone Taylor expressed concern over the umpire's health and reflected on what it was to witness his foul shot hit the umpire on the head.

“I saw it like I was watching it in slow motion,” Taylor said. “It was just scary. It feels like it was my fault."

The Mets were trailing 3-0 when the incident took place. The visitors tied the game in the next inning after a three-run surge. However, the Twins came out on top in extra innings after All-Star first baseman Ty France's walk-off single off Reed Garrett in the 10th inning.

The Twins sealed the three-game series with Wednesday's win, registering back-to-back wins following their 5-1 loss in the series opener.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash