Nationals' Daylen Lile Out of Hospital with Back Injury After Flipping over Wall

Washington Nationals outfielder prospect Daylen Lile was released from the hospital after being stretchered from the field during a Saturday exhibition game in Fort Myers, Florida, according to ESPN.

Lile underwent a CT scan before being diagnosed with a lower-back contusion, according to manager Davey Martinez and ESPN.

Martinez added that Lile, now considered day-to-day, was "very lucky," according to MASN's Bobby Blanco.

Lile was attempting to catch a potential home run from Red Sox infielder Tyler Miller when he flipped backwards over the wall at JetBlue Park and landed headfirst. Video shows members of the dugout immediately waving trainers over to check on Lile.

He was then stretchered off in a neck brace, according to Callie Lawson-Freeman of Yahoo Sports.

MLB.com ranked Lile as the Nationals' No. 6 prospect in 2023.

Lile missed the entirety of the prior season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2022. He is projected to have an easier return from his lower back injury. Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post described Lile's injury as "painful, but he will be able to play once the pain subsides."

After Lile was removed from Saturday's game, Nationals finished the final three innings of the spring training game, which ended in a 4-2 loss to the Red Sox.

Martinez said after the game that Lile was able to move his legs and feet immediately after the injury, per MLB.com's CJ Haddad.

The Nationals manager also praised Lile for the play that sent him over the wall.

"I know Daylen. That's the way he plays the game," Martinez said. "I actually thought for a second he caught it. He plays the game hard. He plays the game the right way."

Lile, 21, was selected by the Nationals in the second round of the 2021 draft out of the University of Kentucky, higher than his projected No. 80 ranking by MLB.com.

In 106 games played during minor-league stops in Single-A Fredericksburg and High-A Wilmington he batted .269 for nine home runs and 66 RBI in 2023.