Betts showing concussion symptoms after ‘odd play'

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BOSTON - For a split-second, it appeared as though Mookie Betts had made one of the top fielding plays of this -- or any other -- season.

Less than two minutes later, it turned out, Betts had simply helped Jose Abreu to a two-run homer and was soon diagnosed with symptoms consistent with a concussion.

Talk about a metaphor for the 2015 Red Sox season.

In the sixth inning of what was then a 5-2 lead for the Chicago White Sox, Abreu belted a ball to right center. Betts ran a long way to track the ball down and made the catch as he reached the warning track in front of the home bullpen.

Attempting to avoid a full-speed collision with the bullpen wall, Betts vaulted over the wall, but got caught up as he attempted to clear it, and came down hard on the ground, with the ball jarred loose.

But Chicago manager Robin Ventura challenged the call, and replay officials deemed it a homer for Abreu -- rather than a spectacular inning-ending catch.

"(First base umpire) Adrian Johnson (believed that) the ball was in his (Betts') glove,'' said crew chief Bill Miller. "He went up against the wall and it disappeared. In our estimation, that's a catch because we never saw the ball come out.

"We went to replay. Robin Ventura asked us to go to replay and replay told us it was a home run. The wording we use is he has to have 'control of his body.' In this case, we couldn't tell if the ball was on the ground on the other side of the (bullpen) fence or not, and so that's why went to replay. They determined he didn't have control of his body when he hit the fence and the ball popped out.''

Right fielder Alejando De Aza, who tracked the ball with Betts, said Betts "made a good play, he made a hell of a play. It was fast. I was still running when he jumped over the wall and the next thing I saw, he was on the other side. I thought it was a catch, because after he caught the ball, (he took) two steps and then jumped (over the wall). I thought (Abreu) was out.

"It was unbelievable. This kid, he knows how to play the game. He plays the game hard. Unbelievable.''

John Farrell said he understood the ruling.

"The replays shows the ball dislodging,'' said Farrell. "The call's made, an out call as he's going over the wall. (But) he's got to hold onto the ball -- that's the bottom line. Once the ball came loose, it's ruled a home run.''

The turnaround -- from an inning-ending highlight play in a 5-2 game to a two-run homer and a 7-2 leading, forcing Wade Miley from the game -- was typical of how things have gone.

"He makes an incredibly athletic play,'' said Farrell. "It's an odd play, certainly, and I think at this point, the concern is how he comes out of the testing here. As far as a freak play, there's been a number of them this year.''

Betts was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital and underwent a CAT-scan. He's almost certain to end up on the disabled list -- either the traditional 15 day DL, or the seven-day concussion DL.

"At a minimum,'' explained Farrell, "he'll have to go through MLB protocol to be cleared. But before stating what he exactly has, we've got to get some further information from the tests.''

De Aza sensed Betts had been shaken up as the two ran off the field together.

"Like anybody who fell from that high, you're going to get hurt,'' said De Aza. "I asked him, 'Are you OK?' He said, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah.' I said, 'You sure?' and he said, 'Yeah, yeah.' Then all of a sudden, I saw him kind of shaken.''

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