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Brewers pitcher Jakob Junis hospitalized after being hit in the neck with a ball during batting practice

Jakob Junis was warming up Monday at PNC Park when he was hit in the neck by a ball

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jakob Junis is alert and conscious at a local hospital in Pittsburgh after he was hit in the neck by a ball during batting practice on Monday, the team announced.

Junis was taken off the field at PNC Park by an ambulance after he was hit by a batted ball while jogging in the outfield. The Pirates were taking batting practice at the time. Junis, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, was loosening up near the warning track when the ball hit him in the neck.

He remained on the field near the warning track for about 15 minutes while being attended to. Junis was then lifted into an ambulance and taken to a local hospital.

The Brewers confirmed Monday afternoon that Junis was “conscious, alert and responsive” at the hospital. Further specifics on his injury are not yet known.

Jakob Junis is “conscious, alert and responsive” after being hit in the neck on Monday afternoon in Pittsburgh.
Jakob Junis is “conscious, alert and responsive” after being hit in the neck on Monday in Pittsburgh. (AP/Gene J. Puskar)

Junis, 31, signed a one-year, $7 million deal with the Brewers this past offseason. He was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 2011 MLB Draft, and he made his debut with the club in 2017. Junis spent two seasons with the San Francisco Giants before landing in Milwaukee. He has made one start this season and holds a 2.25 ERA.

The incident happened ahead of the Brewers’ game against the Pirates on Monday, the first of a four-game series in Pittsburgh. The Brewers hold a 14-6 record heading into the series, and they’re on a four-game winning streak after sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend.