TORONTO -- Brett Gardner was sporting three small welts on the back of his head following the Yankees' 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday at Rogers Centre, a souvenir from a third-inning grab that sent the outfielder tumbling into the stands.
Gardner said that he thought he hit his head on the edge of a concrete step after tracking Ryan Goins' foul popup. He joked that he luckily has a "hard head," but was somewhat surprised that there was no one there to break his fall.
"I kind of thought I'd probably hit somebody when I fell over or back or whatever. I didn't seem to," Gardner said. "I didn't see a replay, but I don't feel like I hit any people. I probably hit the floor or the seat or something. I'm fine."
The section seemed to be well-populated, but the fans scattered as the pop neared, providing Gardner with an unimpeded path to the ball.
It was a much cleaner effort than the unsuccessful one that the Mets' Yoenis Cespedes turned in on Wednesday at Citi Field, kneeing a fan in the chest; a play that some of the Yankees watched on their clubhouse television in Toronto.
Gardner seemed to take his time getting up before returning to his position in left field. Told that none of the paying customers at Rogers Centre seemed interested in assisting him to his feet, Gardner chuckled.
"From the things they're usually saying to me over there, I wouldn't expect them to help me out," he said.