This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Fresno Grizzlies say outfielder Darren Ford escaped serious injury after crashing face-first into the wall during Thursday night's 11-4 win over Salt Lake.
"Darren is OK," the club said Friday morning via Twitter. "He's flying back with us to Fresno today. We appreciate your thoughts — very scary indeed. He got a concussion but he's with us. We are at the airport now."
With one out in the bottom of the eighth inning at Smith's Ballpark, the Bees' Brennan Boesch lifted a slicing fly down the left field line.
Ford raced over and made a diving attempt for the ball, but he missed and slammed head-first into the wall just beyond the Fresno bullpen.
After laying in the field for 15 minutes and being attended to by trainers from both teams, Ford was placed in an ambulance and taken to the hospital.
Agent Joshua Kusnick tweeted late Thursday night that his client "never lost consciousness and was put on a stretcher as a precaution. He has full movement, likely a concussion with back pain."
Ford, 28, is from Vineland, N.J.
He was drafted by Milwaukee in 2004 before being traded to San Francisco. He played 33 games for the Giants in 2010 and 2011, when he was released.
Ford spent last season with Indianapolis of the International League but re-signed with San Francisco in March and started the season in Fresno.