Advertisement

Cleveland's Josh Naylor hospitalized after gruesome ankle injury

Cleveland right fielder Josh Naylor was hospitalized on Sunday after a gruesome ankle injury suffered against the Minnesota Twins.

Naylor sustained the injury in the fourth inning while attempting to field a fly ball off the bat of Minnesota's Jorge Polanco. Second baseman Ernie Clement gave chase to the pop-up to shallow right field and collided with Naylor as both players attempted to make a play on the ball.

The ball bounced off of Naylor's glove for a single as the collision sent Naylor spinning through the air. When Naylor landed, his left foot planted in the turf, and his body weight twisted his ankle severely backward.

(Warning: The video below contains graphic footage of an injury)

Naylor remained lying on the field for several minutes as he received medical attention. He eventually left the field on a cart with an air cast placed around his injured ankle.

Naylor sustained fracture, will undergo more evaluation

After the game, Cleveland manager Terry Francona told reporters that Naylor suffered a fracture and was taken to a hospital for further evaluation. The full extent of Naylor's injury and what bone was fractured were not immediately clear.

"We know that there's a fracture," Francona told reporters. "Other than that, he's being evaluated over at the hospital right now. We'll know more, I hope, in a couple of hours. We're not even sure if he can travel home with us."

Clement, 25, was not injured in the collision. He was playing in his seventh game in MLB.

Naylor, 24, is slashing .251/.305/.403 with seven home runs and 21 RBI this season, his third in MLB. Nelson Cruz hit a three-run home run after Polanco reached on the single to extend Minnesota's lead to 7-1 in an 8-2 Twins victory.

Jun 27, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cleveland Indians second baseman Ernie Clement (28) and outfielder Josh Naylor (22) collide on a fly ball against the Minnesota Twins in the fourth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Josh Naylor, right, was hospitalized after a collision with Ernie Clement. (Brad Rempel/Reuters) (USA Today Sports / reuters)

More from Yahoo Sports: