The young girl struck by a foul ball last May during a Cubs-Astros matchup in Houston has permanent brain injury, the family's attorney says.
Last season, Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. smashed a foul ball into the stands, and a young girl, 2, was struck in the head. The girl was rushed to the hospital with a reported skull fracture, but was expected to recover.
But new details emerged, as the family's attorney told the Houston Chronicle that the girl could suffer long-term, debilitating effects.
“She (the child) has an injury to a part of the brain, and it is permanent,” Richard Mithoff told the Chronicle. “She remains subject to seizures and is on medication and will be, perhaps, for the rest of her life. That may or may not be resolved.”
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Mithoff said the girl can continue with her normal routine, but the parents have to pay extra mind to her.
Per the Chronicle, the damage done to the girl is akin to that of suffering a stroke. The child’s parents say other effects include "staring spells, periods of unresponsiveness, night terrors and frequent headaches."
The ball struck the girl in the back of the head as the family was sitting along the third-base line.
In December, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced that all 30 teams would be extending netting past the dugouts, with some teams extending the nets all the way to the foul poles. Some teams already extended netting prior to the announcement. Seven teams have netting extended to the foul poles, 15 teams have netting extended past the dugout and the remaining eight teams will have netting extend far beyond the dugout.
Almora, who was visibly shaken during the event, noticed the girl immediately.
"That's probably what sucked the most," Almora said, via NBC Chicago. "It's just the way life is. As soon as I hit it, the first person I locked eyes on was her."
No legal action has been filed against the Astros, per the Chronicle.
