When Jason Bay crashed into the left-field wall at Dodger Stadium on July 23, the outfielder was shaken up, but continued to play the remainder of the series in Los Angeles.
Now, one month later, it seems that the slight concussion suffered by Bay in the collision will likely end his season. Mets manager Jerry Manuel told reporters that he expects Bay to sit the remainder of the year, according to ESPN.com.
"That's the way I see it," Manuel said Friday at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. "I could be way out of line, or way out of bounds. But that's the way I see it."
Bay began experiencing headaches on the plane ride back to New York on July 25, and Manuel advised he take a few games off to undergo testing for a concussion, expecting him to return that Friday, July 30. However, Bay continued to feel concussion symptoms throughout the week and landed on the 15-day DL.
Now, a team official has reported that Bay cannot last 48 hours without experiencing the nagging symptoms related to the collision.
Even though he hasn't displayed the offensive prowess he had with the Boston Red Sox in 2009, Bay has still been a solid defensive option for the Mets. Though Manuel was confused that his offensive power didn't translate over to New York, he never questioned the outfielder's drive.
"The one thing about him, he brought the intangible of a fighter," he said. "Despite not having everything, you knew he ran hard down the line. He stole bases. He dove for balls. He did all those things that kind of set us to who we were for a period of time. … He brought a workmanlike mentality to our lineup. It wasn't always successful, but you knew he was going to play hard."
Should this be the end of Bay's 2010 season, he will finish the year with a .259 average with six home runs and 47 RBIs.
