L.A. Angels Face Lawsuit Over Boy Hit In Head During Warmups

Litigation has been filed after a 6-year-old boy suffered a fractured skull and brain damage when he was struck by a baseball thrown by an Angels player warming up before a 2019 game.

The lawsuit—which blames the injury on the team’s negligence—was filed by the boy’s mother, Beatrice Galaz. It says in part that the team should have more netting along the side of the field and players shouldn’t warmup in areas where spectators could be struck. It seeks unspecified damages and coverage of medical costs and loss of future earnings.

“It was negligent for Defendants to have their pitcher warm up and prepare for the scheduled game by throwing at a high velocity outside of the bullpen and in an area where an errant throw could strike a spectator such as Plaintiff,” the lawsuit says.

It happened on September 15, 2019, about an hour and a half before first pitch. Young Bryson was walking with his father in the first row of the stadium near which players were signing autographs for fans.

He was then struck on the side of the head by an errant throw from pitcher Keynan Middleton. The boy was rushed to the emergency room in critical condition and sent to a children’s hospital for a couple of days. Attention and social deficiencies followed, and an exam showed abnormal brain activity.

“We were relieved that he survived, but since that day he has struggled in school,” Galaz said in a statement. “He’s simply not the same.”

“No parties have reached out to us regarding this lawsuit,” said Angels spokesperson Marie Garvey. “We have only been made aware of this by the media, so we are unable to comment at this time.”

Middleton went over to check on Bryson immediately, and the team called for help. An Angels’ official followed up with an email, but when the family requested help with medical bills no one replied. The player is not a target in the lawsuit.