SAN DIEGO -- Nationals starting catcher Keibert Ruiz was transferred to the seven-day concussion protocol injured list on Friday after originally being placed on the 10-day injured list following a scary incident in the visitor’s dugout at Petco Park on Monday night.
Ruiz was struck on the right side of his head by an 82.4 mph foul ball hit by Josh Bell that ricocheted in the dugout during the fourth inning. A CT scan came back negative for a concussion or fracture, but was re-evaluated by a doctor when his headaches persisted, and Ruiz was diagnosed with a mild concussion.
On Tuesday, Ruiz, 26, said he didn’t “feel normal.” He experienced dizziness when he walked from the hotel to the ballpark, and he has had a headache.
"I don’t feel a hundred percent, and I don’t feel good to catch today,” Ruiz said. “If I got another foul ball in my head, I don’t think that would be good. I’ve got two kids that need me, and I’ve got to take care of my health."
Ruiz was not wearing his catcher’s gear and helmet because he was due up three batters later. He immediately left the dugout with head athletic trainer Paul Lessard and underwent testing off-site.
"I turned my head to the right to see the ball, and when I turned right away, it hit me right there,” Ruiz said. “After that, it felt like black -- I can't even talk for a couple of seconds. After that, it was still a headache."
Manager Dave Martinez said that Ruiz is feeling good and took batting practice on Friday at Angel Stadium. Under concussion protocol rules, Ruiz is allowed to do any physical activity that he’s capable of under supervision of the training staff, but must shut it down if any symptoms, such as headaches or dizziness, occur.
He’s also progressed from the stationary bike to running on the field.
“The next thing for him is gonna be the running and bouncing around,” Martinez said. “He said that’s when he felt [symptoms] the other day, just running about and moving his head around. So he’s gonna do that today.”
Once Ruiz can get through running without any symptoms, Martinez said that will open the path to having him squat and catch bullpen sessions before re-taking the concussion test on July 1.
The Nationals tabbed backup catcher Riley Adams, who replaced Ruiz for the remainder of Monday’s game, to start Tuesday. They also recalled catcher Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding roster move.
Adams was prepared when his name was called in a pinch. He has worked in tandem with Ruiz since 2021 and is lauded for being studious even when he is not playing. Adams, who has appeared in 23 games this season, will look to also find rhythm at the plate with consistent at-bats. He raised his batting average to .106 with a double on Tuesday.
“We have to get him to stop chasing,” said Martinez. “He’s got tremendous bat speed [79.3 mph]. When the ball’s in the zone, he’s got a really good chance to hit it not only hard, but far. So the key is for him to get in a good count to hit and be ready to hit.”
Millas rejoins the Nationals with 31 games of Major League experience over the past two seasons. This year, the switch-hitting Millas has batted .247 in 52 games with Rochester. He has a deep familiarity with the majority of the Nationals’ bullpen from being teammates in the Minor Leagues.
“He’s been swinging the bat better, especially left-handed, which is good,” Martinez said. “But he’s been catching a lot better. He’s thrown out some runners. We’ve always known that he calls a pretty good game, and he’s very aware of what he wants to do. So he gets a chance to come up here and do it up here for us.”
Millas was notified about the callup around 11:30 p.m. ET. He went to the ballpark at midnight to pack up his gear, where he was met by Red Wings manager Matthew LeCroy. After a short sleep, Millas woke up around 3:45 a.m., was driven to the airport by his wife, and took a 5:30 a.m. ET flight from Rochester with a layover at JFK Airport. Millas arrived in San Diego around 11:20 a.m. PT.
“The whole scenario was just unfortunate, to say the least,” Millas said of Ruiz’s injury. “That’s a freak incident, and you don’t wish that on anybody, obviously.”