MILWAUKEE -- Brewers shortstop and two-time club MVP Willy Adames was struck on the left side of the head by a foul ball while leaning on the dugout railing during the second inning of Friday’s Giants-Brewers game at American Family Field and went to the hospital while his stunned teammates struggled through the rest of a 15-1 loss. 

Adames was alert and responsive throughout the rest of the evening and was to remain hospitalized overnight for observation, said Brewers manager Craig Counsell, who indicated that Adames did not suffer any fractures. The Brewers expect Adames to be released from the hospital Saturday morning and will place him on the injured list, Counsell said. 

“We all love him,” said Freddy Peralta, Adames’ neighbor in the Brewers clubhouse, and the Brewers’ starting pitcher on Friday night. “We’ve known each for years. We’ve been together, friends together -- close friends together -- for like seven, eight years. It’s hard to see somebody that you love having that moment.”

Said Counsell: “It just wasn’t a good night.”

Brian Anderson was leading off the bottom of the second inning for the Brewers when he punched a pitch foul, 90 mph off the bat according to Statcast, that appeared to strike Adames on the left side of the head. Adames retreated down the dugout steps to the bench and leaned against Brewers associate pitching, catching and strategy coach Walker McKinven while medical officials tended to him and Brewers teammates stood to form a wall around the scene. 

After several tense minutes, Adames rose and walked up the tunnel into the clubhouse. Anderson finished his at-bat with tears in his eyes and grounded out to shortstop before hustling up the tunnel himself to check on his teammate.

“I heard it and I knew it hit somebody,” Counsell said. “I didn’t know who it hit but I knew it hit somebody. Willy didn’t really react that much initially, to be honest with you. He just went and sat down. Then you realized what happened, and then it was really scary.” 

For Anderson, Counsell said, “You feel awful. It’s just an accident. It’s a bad accident. It’s bad luck. Unfortunately, it’s one of your teammates. Some bad things happen in the game sometimes. It was not fun to be a part of.”

Giants starter Alex Wood compared the sound to a batter getting hit by a pitch squarely in the back, “one of the louder hit-by-pitches that you see or hear.” He called it “scary stuff.”

“In real time, I thought he was able to kind of avoid it or turn his head and get his hand up,” said Giants manager Gabe Kapler. “It was a really scary moment, obviously, for the Brewers and our dugout, as well. You never want to see a guy put in danger like that.”

The game immediately got away from the Brewers and Peralta, who committed one of the team’s two errors during what became a seven-run Giants rally. It started with second baseman Owen Miller’s fielding error, continued with Peralta’s throwing error on a comebacker and included a run-scoring infield single that deflected off first baseman Mike Brosseau’s glove before Giants second baseman Brett Wisely smashed a three-run home run that made it a 10-1 game and marked the end of Peralta’s night.

Adames and Peralta have lockers next to each other in the Brewers clubhouse, and, with injured infielder Luis Urías, are best friends. Peralta said he intended to visit Adames in the hospital later Friday night.

Of going back to the mound in the top of the third inning, Peralta said, “It was really hard for me because of some feelings inside me and all that. I knew that I had a game and had to come back to the mound, but I had it in my mind.”

“It affected everybody for sure,” said Counsell. “Certainly Freddy, as the guy having to go out there and pitch, and as close as they are, as much as anybody.”

Last week marked Adames’ two-year anniversary with the Brewers, who acquired him in a May 21, 2021 trade with the Rays when Milwaukee was two games under .500 and needed a boost. Adames has been the Brewers’ most productive hitter since then, winning club MVP honors in ‘21 and ‘22 and leading the team in home runs, RBIs, hits, doubles, walks, runs and games played -- including all 51 games so far in 2023.

“I’ve always said it: Willy is the catalyst for this team,” said Brosseau, who has been Adames’ teammate for the last five seasons with the Rays and Brewers. “What he brings to this team, what he means to this team, to see him go down like that and really not have anybody know the severity of it, it’s pretty scary, pretty frightening.”