Atlanta Braves Extending The Netting At SunTrust Park

SMYRNA, GA — Following several recent injuries at major league ballparks around the nation, the Atlanta Braves announced the team will extend the netting at SunTrust Park in Cobb County to foul poles. The project should be completed by the end of September, the team announced via Twitter on Monday.

On May 29, a 2-year-old girl was injured by a foul ball during a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Houston Astros. The girl was sitting on a relatives lap in section 111 during the game when she was hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr.

It's estimated that the ball was traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour when it struck the child in the head. Almora, who followed the path of the ball, was immediately overcome with grief and was consoled by teammates and umpires. Family members later revealed the extent of the child's injuries, which included a fractured skull, subdural bleeding, seizures, and a brain contusion.

READ ALSO: Child Hospitalized After Struck By Ball At Astros Game

A day after the incident, an article in USA Today spotlighted the need for expanding safety netting at baseball parks to help keep fans safe. However, it's not clear when Major League Baseball intends to study expanding protective netting in the name of fan safety.

Two days after the child was injured MBL Commissioner Rob Manfred told the Washington Post that changes could be difficult in some stadiums during the season.

"Look, I think it is important that we continue to focus on fan safety," Manfred said. "If that means that the netting has to go beyond the dugouts, so be it."

The Braves will extend the netting at @SunTrustPark to the foul poles and barring any complications, the project should be completed by the end of September. pic.twitter.com/Ur2EUNGQOu
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) August" class="redactor-linkify-object">https://twitter.com/Braves/sta... 19, 2019

There are have been a number of injuries, and even deaths caused by foul balls in major league parks over the last decade.

• Dodger Stadium: A woman was rushed to the hospital on June 23 after she was hit in the head by a foul ball. The Dodgers say the plan to extend their protective netting.
• Marlins Park: An elderly woman was struck by a foul ball in September 2015 and was slightly injured.
• Wrigley Field: A man was hit in the face with a foul ball during a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates in August 2017, and suffered a broken nose and jaw, and he lost sight in his right eye.
• Guaranteed Field: A woman is hit in the head by a foul ball during a White Sox game in June 2019.

Before the start of the 2018 season, all 30 MLB clubs expanded their safety netting in their ballparks, but only around home plate, and not foul pole to foul pole as was suggested in 2007 and 2012 by the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Patch Editor Brian Kirk contributed to this report.