WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals will extend their protective netting during the All-Star break after recent injuries in baseball increased the focus on fan safety.
Nationals managing principal owner Mark Lerner announced the changes in a letter to fans on Thursday. Lerner says the club will replace the current protection with more transparent netting and extend it to just short of the foul poles in the left and right field corners.
Lerner referenced a 4-year-old girl was struck by a line drive at an Astros-Cubs game last month.
The Chicago White Sox said Wednesday they will extend the protective netting at Guaranteed Rate Field to the foul poles at some point this season.
At the urging of Major League Baseball, all 30 teams expanded their protective netting to at least the far ends of the dugouts at the start of the 2018 season. Several fans were injured by foul balls in 2017.
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