Buffalo Bisons Catcher Payton Henry Hospitalized After Taking A Backswing To The Head

A scary moment in Syracuse last night when Buffalo Bisons catcher Payton Henry was hit in the head by a batter's backswing.

The scary incident happened in the 7th inning of last night's game between the Blue Jays Triple-A affiliate and the Syracuse Mets. 

Syracuse third baseman Pablo Reyes was at the plate facing a 1-2 count when he swung and missed. His follow-through ended up hitting the back of catcher Payton Henry's head, immediately sending the 26-year-old crashing to the dirt as the umpire and Bisons training staff rushed to help him. 

Backswing Hit The Unprotected Part Of Henry's Head

Henry stayed down in obvious pain as trainers and medical staff rushed to his aid. Players from both team's looked on in concern as a backboard was brought out onto the field and Henry was carted off and taken to a local hospital for evaluation. 

With both teams shaken up by the incident, the two teams decided to call the game in the 7th, with the Mets defeating the Bison 4-2.

HENRY REMAINS HOSPITALIZED BUT IS ‘ALERT AND RESPONSIVE’

But the more important issue for today is Henry's health. Both teams issued the following joint statement on Henry's condition:

"Payton Henry has been taken to a Syracuse area hospital where he is being evaluated. Payton is currently alert and appropriately responsive. We will share any further information as it becomes available."

Henry's injury is one of the latest that we have seen happen to catchers in both the Minors and Major Leagues. A few weeks ago, St. Louis Cardinals catcher Wilson Contreras broke his arm after being hit by a backswing. Some are calling for a closer look into how close catchers should be to the plate as they attempt to frame pitches for the umpires. 

A sixth-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2016 MLB Draft, Henry appeared in 20 MLB games with the 2022 Miami Marlins before being traded to the Blue Jays organization.