Durham Bulls’ Tyler Zombro In Stable Condition After Comebacker

Update: On the morning of June 4, the Rays released a further update saying: “As of this morning, Tyler remains under the care of the nurses and doctors at Duke University Hospital. The updates from overnight have been positive, and he remains in stable condition. We are overwhelmed by the support for Tyler and the wishes for his full and speedy recovery from fans and the baseball community alike. We will provide additional updates as he progresses.”

Durham Bulls reliever Tyler Zombro is in stable condition at Duke University Hospital in Durham after he was hit in the head by a line drive during Thursday night’s game against Norfolk.

“Tyler Zombro was transported to Duke University Hospital in Durham and is in stable condition. He is currently undergoing further treatment and observation. Additional updates will be provided as they become available. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tyler, his family and his teammates.”

Zombro had just entered the game as a reliever in the eighth inning. The first batter he faced, Brett Cumberland lined a 1-2 pitch back toward the mound. The ball struck Zombro in the head. The pitcher immediately crumpled to the ground. 

Zombro was taken off the field on a stretcher and taken to the hospital. The game was immediately suspended, and eventually was called early.

This was Zombro’s ninth appearance of the season for the Durham Bulls. A nondrafted free agent out of George Mason in 2017, Zombro made it to Triple-A Durham for the first time in 2019. At George Mason, Zombro set several records—he left as the school’s all-time leader in starts (55) and innings pitched (318.1). He left with the second most wins (23) in school history.