Dodgers Prospect Hospitalized After Taking Line Drive to His Face

A scary moment played out on the field Tuesday night in Midland, Michigan, in the third inning of the Great Lakes Loons’ game against the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Great Lakes starting pitcher Patrick Copen was struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of Wisconsin’s Cooper Pratt and carted off the field.

Copen, the Dodgers’ No. 20 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, did not lose consciousness before leaving the field to be taken to a local hospital according to multiple witnesses.

Although no Statcast data was available from the game, Pratt’s line drive was a 100-mph shot off the bat according to one observer:

Copen, 22, was a seventh-round draft pick out of Marshall in 2023 who signed for $225,500.

Copen allowed one run over the first two innings at Dow Diamond before walking Wisconsin’s Luis Lara to begin the third. The next batter, Pratt, was credited with a single on the line drive back to the mound.

According to Hugh Bernreuter of MLive.com, a brace was placed around Copen’s neck. The pitcher moved his arms as he was taken off the field on a stretcher by paramedics.

Another witness told Dodgers Nation that the line drive struck Copen in his cheek/orbital bone area. The game was delayed for 21 minutes while medical personnel attended to him.

The Loons did not make any further information about Copen available during or after the game.

A 6-foot-6 right-hander, Copen began the season at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. In 54.1 innings, he went 5-2 with a 3.15 ERA in 13 games (11 starts).

On June 25, Copen was promoted to Great Lakes, the Dodgers’ affiliate in the advanced Class-A Midwest League.

In eight starts with the Loons, Copen is 3-2 with a 4.21 ERA, with 35 strikeouts and 27 walks in 36.1 innings. Opponents are hitting .248 against him.

Over the last two seasons combined, Copen has appeared in 24 minor league games, making 21 starts. The Parkersburg, W.V. native has thrown 95 innings while allowing only 76 hits, walking 55 and striking out 97.

Photo Credit: Abbie Parr/Getty Images

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