Gonzalez recovering from beaning
Gonzalez, playing for Lancaster in the Class A Advanced California League, was 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs when De La Cruz plunked him in the ninth inning of a game Inland Empire won, 15-6. The ball struck Gonzalez on the lower part of his helmet, also getting part of his neck.
The slugging outfielder was down on the ground for some four minutes but suffered no injury other than some soreness and getting a good scare. There was some thought he had suffered a concussion, but that was not the case, despite the fact he was not in the starting lineup Friday against Rancho Cucamonga.
"I'm a little sore on my neck but I'm glad everything is OK," said Gonzalez, who leads the Cal League with 86 RBIs and is seventh in hitting at .316. "I was scared right after I got hit. My whole body stopped for five seconds. I was scared. I'm just glad to be OK and be here."
Gonzalez told JetHawks manager Brett Butler that he could have started on Friday, but Butler opted to give him the night off. He's listed as day-to-day but should be back on the field this weekend. Butler, meanwhile, believes that De La Cruz hit Gonzalez on purpose.
Lancaster third baseman Rusty Ryal suffered a broken thumb Thursday night when he was hit by a pitch from Mumba Rivera in the seventh inning. He's expected to miss the remainder of the season, though Butler had not heard who would replace him on the Lancaster roster as of Friday evening.
Earlier this year, Inland Empire third baseman Ronny Prettyman suffered a broken wrist when Lancaster's Kellen Raab hit him with a pitch.
"He's arguably one of the best prospects in the country," Butler said of Gonzalez. "If you're going to do that, miss him low and hit him in the foot or something. Anytime you hit someone in the head and see him go down the way he did, it's not good."
Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com.