Angels’ Suzuki alert after suffering neck contusion

Los Angeles Angels catcher Kurt Suzuki left Saturday’s night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays with a neck contusion after being hit with a warmup pitch in the third inning.

During the seventh inning, the Angels said Suzuki is alert and undergoing further testing.

With the Blue Jays leading, 1-0, Suzuki was catching pitches from starter Michael Lorenzen prior to the top of the third inning, when one bounced and appeared to him Suzuki in the neck area.

The 38-year-old veteran was guided off the field by the team training staff as manager Joe Maddon walked with them. Finally, as he descended on the dugout stairs, he had to be helped into the dugout, where they took off his mask.

Catcher Max Stassi replaced Suzuki, and Lorenzen worked a 1-2-3 inning on five pitches. Stassi grounded out in his first at-bat off Toronto starter Yusei Kikuchi.

Suzuki, in his second season with the Angels, entered the game with a .191 batting average, one home run and four RBIs. The Angels are his fifth MLB organization. He was 0-1 before exiting Saturday.

Suzuki has also played for the Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves. He had two stints each with Oakland and Washington.

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