Condition of fan hit by bat at Fenway Park upgraded from serious to fair
Tonya Carpenter, the fan struck by shards of a shattered bat during Friday’s Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park, had her condition upgraded on Monday from serious to fair.
Carpenter, 44, had been listed in serious condition as of Sunday morning.
“Tonya is responsive, and her condition has been upgraded from serious to fair,” read a statement released by Carpenter‘s family through Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. “We would like to thank everyone for their continued support, especially the fans at Fenway Park, first responders, Boston EMS, Boston Police and her care team at Beth Israel Deaconess.”
During the second inning of Friday’s Red Sox game against the Oakland Athletics, A’s third baseman Brett Lawrie broke his bat while hitting a ground ball. A shard of the bat was sent flying into the stands and struck Carpenter, who was sitting in a section on the third-base side of the ballpark beyond the protective backstop netting. She was transported out of Fenway on a stretcher and taken to Beth Israel.
Carpenter’s injuries were reported as life-threatening by the Associated Press on Saturday.
Lawrie sent Carpenter flowers to the hospital, USA Todayreported.
The incident has renewed conversation about the security of major-league ballparks. Players reportedly sought to have the protective netting in stadiums extended during each of the last two rounds of collective bargaining, but were rejected by owners.
- Mike Fiammetta
