PHILADELPHIA — A spectator fell over a protective railing and into the Red Sox bullpen while reaching for a baseball in the first inning of Boston’s game against Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night.
The fan was taken to the trauma center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, according to medical personnel on the scene, after he tumbled one level from an open concourse into the Boston bullpen in right-center field.
The injury occurred when the fan reached over a railing in an attempt to retrieve a ball thrown his way, the Phillies said in a statement. The Phillies said the fan was conscious and responsive upon leaving the ballpark. His injuries were not disclosed.
Later in the game, a Phillies employee was cleaning blood off the concrete in the area where the fan fell.
Masataka Yoshida, Boston’s second batter, was facing Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler when Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado ran from the bullpen into the outfield to call attention to the incident. Medical workers quickly ran out to the second level of the bullpen as Red Sox relievers looked on nearby.
Security personnel immediately cleared fans from the railing in Ashburn Alley, which sits close to the visiting bullpen, as medical responders attended to the fan, who was wearing a Phillies jersey. Red Sox relievers looked on with concern as a hush went over the nearly sold-out ballpark that was hyped for the game and Bryce Harper‘s first action in Philadelphia since offseason elbow surgery.
The spectator was strapped to a backboard and taken from the bullpen and field on a stretcher and a cart.
The game resumed after about a 10-minute delay.
Fans remained on the railing later in the game in Ashburn Alley, named after Hall of Famer and former Phillies outfielder Richie Ashburn, which has been a popular hangout spot since the ballpark opened in 2004. In addition to the railing over the bullpen, which includes a ledge to accommodate food and beverages, fans also can watch relievers closely from a seated area that also has a ledge.
Some fans wondered on Friday night if they would be prohibited from watching the game from that area going forward after the fan’s fall.
In the initial plan for the ballpark, Phillies relievers were seated on the top part of the bullpen closest to the fans. But the visiting bullpen was switched to the top level and the home bullpen was moved below.
The days leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline were a furious final sprint as contenders looked to stock up for a postseason run while rebuilding clubs added prospects and draft capital.
After the overnight Brock Nelson blockbuster Thursday, Friday lived up to expectations, with Mikko Rantanen, Brad Marchand and other high-profile players finishing the day on different teams than they started with. All told, NHL teams made 24 trades on deadline day involving 47 players.
Which teams and players won the day? Who might not feel as well about the situation after trade season? Reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski identify the biggest winners and losers of the 2025 NHL trade deadline:
There are some who saw what the Carolina Hurricanes did at the trade deadline — or perhaps failed to do after they traded Mikko Rantanen — and believe they’re cooked when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, based on the projections from Stathletes, the Canes remain the team with the highest chances of winning the Cup, at 16.7%.
Standing before them on Sunday are the Winnipeg Jets (5 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The Jets had a relatively quiet deadline, adding Luke Schenn and Brandon Tanev, though sometimes these additions are the types of small tweaks that can push a contender over the edge. As it stands, the Jets enter their showdown against the Canes with the sixth-highest Cup chances, at 8.7%.
Carolina has made two trips to the Cup Final: a loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2002 and a win over the Edmonton Oilers in 2006. The Canes have reached the conference finals three times since (2009, 2019, 2023). Winnipeg has yet to make the Cup Final, and was defeated 4-1 in the 2018 Western Conference finals by the Vegas Golden Knights in the club’s lone trip to the penultimate stage.
Both clubs are due. Will this be their year?
There is a lot of runway left until the final day of the season on April 17, and we’ll help you keep track of it all here on the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide detail on all the playoff races — along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Points: 43 Regulation wins: 12 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 17 Points pace: 54.3 Next game: vs. NSH (Tuesday) Playoff chances: ~0% Tragic number: 8
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the draw for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process can be found here. Sitting No. 1 on the draft board for this summer is Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters.
Hintz extended his stick toward Henrique, whose wrist shot sent the puck under Hintz’s visor during his club’s 5-4 loss to the Oilers. He was on the ice, with his face in a towel, as the team’s medical staff assessed him and helped him skate toward the dressing room.
After the loss, Dallas coach Peter DeBoer said Hintz was at a local hospital, receiving tests. The coach added that the initial report was fairly optimistic for Hintz, 28, who has 25 goals and 52 points.
“Everyone’s optimistic that it’s not ‘serious, serious,'” DeBoer said. “But we won’t know until we get testing.”
The short-handed Stars rallied from a 5-1 deficit before eventually losing. Trade deadline acquisition Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist in his debut for Dallas, which had its four-game winning streak stopped. Wyatt Johnston, Jamie Benn and Matt Dumba also scored for the Stars.