Weathers hit in head by catcher's toss, exits later

TAMPA, Fla. -- Miami Marlins starter Ryan Weathers pitched three innings after he was struck in the head by catcher Nick Fortes' throw to second base after the final warmup pitch before the bottom of the first inning Saturday.

Fortes' throw hit Weathers on the top of his head and knocked off his cap. Weathers reached for his head as he fell to the mound. He was face down when athletic trainers rushed to tend to him.

Weathers, the son of longtime reliever David Weathers, needed only eight pitches to get out of the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays. He was taken out after the third for "precautionary reasons." He threw 57 pitches and gave up four runs, three earned, on three hits and a walk. The team said he will undergo further evaluation.

After the game, Weathers told reporters he was "good" and that he was grateful the ball hit him in the top of the head instead of the back of the head. When asked what eventually caused him to leave the game, Weathers said he wasn't feeling right in the third inning.

"I just felt very disconnected out there a little bit just with like, just all that adrenaline left me," he said. "... It was kind of like that episode of 'SpongeBob' where like everything's on fire inside of his brain and I just felt like I was in pure chaos after that happened. So it was just kind of the right time to come out of the game there."

The Marlins won 11-10 in 10 innings.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.