Buster Posey said he’s fine after getting hit in head

SAN FRANCISCO (TNS) — Buster Posey did not appear to be in pain. His face did not crease into a grimace. In the moments after a 93 mph fastball drilled him behind the left ear, he sat in the dirt and stared ahead.

He looked like he was pondering where he left his car keys.

The first baseball game of the season at Third and King is always a celebratory affair, full of ceremony, saturated sights and plush sounds. But there was a minute of sickening silence shortly after the perfect, three-part harmony of the cast of “Hamilton” and before cheers that accompanied Mark Melancon’s recording the final out in the Giants’ 4-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The loudest and least forgettable sound of the afternoon was the thwack in the first inning when Taijuan Walker threw a pitch that Posey could not avoid. The ball struck him on the helmet and its impact crumpled him to the dirt.

It was the second pitch that Posey, the former Lee County High School standout, saw at home this season, and although he was able to get up under his own power, there was no discussion about trying to stay in the game.

The Giants put Posey through a full concussion protocol. They did not diagnose him with one, and Posey told teammates that he felt fine. But the Giants have gone to this state fair a few times. They know from recent experience with second baseman Joe Panik that symptoms often don’t manifest themselves right away.

“Yeah, he seems fine. He said he felt fine, which is good,” Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford said. “But Joe thought he felt good last year, also.

“You hope he feels fine tomorrow. He’s going to come in and probably get his heart rate going and see how he feels. You don’t really know with these injuries.”

They are optimistic this time. Posey stretched his jaw and some color appeared drained from his face as he sat in the dirt, but he did not wobble or stumble once he got to his feet. He appeared unaffected as he walked through the dugout and down the tunnel.

Bochy said the club wasn’t immediately planning to bring up another catcher from Triple-A Sacramento; Tim Federowicz would be in line because Trevor Brown is on the disabled list with ankle and hip injuries.

But the Giants are also wizened enough to know that they cannot know for sure.

“Well, it’s one of the worst sounds you can hear in baseball, the ball hitting the helmet,” Bochy said. “That’s a moment when you hold your breath. I got out there as quick as I could. My hope is he’s fine because of the type of helmets we have now and the protection they provide.”

Bochy said there was no discussion about letting Posey stay in the game because, as a catcher, he could be at risk for a foul tip that would have an exponentially devastating effect.

Would Bochy have let Posey try to continue if he played a different position? The manager said he wasn’t sure.