Payton Henry, Triple-A Catcher, Hospitalized After Being Hit in Head with Backswing

Payton Henry, a Triple-A catcher in the Toronto Blue Jays' system, was taken to the hospital after being hit in the head by a backswing during a game.

The Buffalo Bisons announced Henry is "alert and appropriately responsive" after being transported to the hospital for evaluation.

The incident occurred in the seventh inning of the Buffalo Bisons-Syracuse Mets game when Pablo Reyes swung and his backswing caught Henry in the left side of his helmet.

Per Michael Avallone of MLB.com, Henry's catcher mask fell off and he fell forward before rolling on his back in pain.

"As Buffalo's athletic trainer and manager Casey Candaele knelt at Henry's side, he reached for his head. The trainer immediately called over to the Syracuse dugout to have them call for emergency services," Avallone wrote.

Henry was put on a backboard to stabilize his movement and loaded into an ambulance before being taken to a local hospital.

The game was called in the seventh inning after the incident following a conference between Candaele, Syracuse manager Dick Scott and the umpires to discuss if they wanted to continue.

Henry is in his first season in Toronto's farm system. The 26-year-old was a sixth-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2016 and spent seven years in their system. He signed with the Blue Jays as a minor-league free agent in December.