Milwaukee Brewers minor leaguer Julio Mendez had a heart attack Saturday night in Arizona after he was hit in the chest by a pitch.
Medical staff administered CPR to 20-year-old Mendez after the incident and he was transported to the hospital. The game was stopped and was not completed after Mendez left the field, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The pitch from Austin Krzeminski of the Arizona League Angels hit Mendez, who is from Venezuela, in the top of the ninth inning at Diablo Stadium in Tempe. Mendez fell to the ground after being hit.
"Obviously, we are thinking about him and our thoughts are with him and his family," Brewers managers Craig Counsell said, the MJS reported. "It’s a very scary situation, and we’re thinking about him and trying to get updates. He’s in very serious condition."
On Sunday, Mendez was in critical but stable condition, the Brewers said in a statement.
Mendez was not known to have any pre-existing heart conditions, but if a pitch hits the chest when the heart is relaxed during the pumping cycle, it can cause an irregular heartbeat that could be fatal, The Washington Post reported.
Mendez has been with the Brewers since 2014 and played in the Arizona League for the past two seasons.
Krzeminski asked for prayers for Mendez on social media following the incident, and others also tweeted their well-wishes.