A gull posted in the outfield of a Minor League Baseball game got too close to the action on Tuesday after it was hit by a baseball in center field.
In the bottom of the second inning, Corpus Christi Hooks left fielder Luis Baez singled a ground ball off a pitch by Springfield Cardinals lefty Brycen Mautz.
As the ball headed toward the outfield, several gulls took off into the air, but one of their winged friends — who was chilling directly in the ball’s path — failed to get out of the way in time, causing the feathered fan to be hit by the grounder.
Moments later, the gull was carried off the field by a Hooks grounds crew member after players could be seen checking on the bird.
“Breaking News: Seagull Outfielder placed on 10-Day Injury List,” wrote the Hooks alongside a clip of the unfortunate run-in on X.
The Hooks added that the gull was expected to make a “full recovery” and later shared a clip of the small bird, noting that it “was seen walking and interacting with others.”
“We wish him the best!” the team wrote in a separate post.
Hooks general manager Brady Ballard, in an email to HuffPost, wrote that the gull proceeded to fly away and rejoin the flock that was hanging around the ballpark.
He added the team went on to show the “recovered” video to fans during the game, which resulted in a “rousing applause” from the crowd who were “thrilled” to know that gull was OK.
The Hooks — a minor league affiliate of the Houston Astros — play their games by the waterfront of Corpus Christi, Texas and the team’s name derives from the popularity of fishing in the city.
Besides Rusty Hook, mascot Sammy the Seagull has cheered on the squad since the team’s ballpark — Whataburger Field — opened in 2005.
The Texas city was previously home to the Corpus Christi Seagulls, a team that played minor league ball in 1976 and 1977.