Takuto Kawakami was behind home plate during a game in Tokyo on April 16 when slugger Jose Osuna of the Yakult Swallows swung his bat, which then flew out of his hands and struck the left side of the umpire’s head.

The 30-year-old fell to the ground and was rushed to hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery and was placed in intensive care, according to local media.

Kawakami, who was performing his first duty as a home plate umpire, is still unconscious but has been transferred to a general ward of the hospital, the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) told local media on Thursday.

Osuna apologised for the accident.

“I’m very sorry about what happened today when my bat hit the main umpire. I hope he’s well, I’m really sorry,” the first baseman wrote in a post on X soon after.

The players’ union, the Japan Professional Baseball Players Association, also issued a statement, wishing Kawakami a speedy recovery.

The NPB did not immediately respond to a request for comment from AFP.