Mercer relieved after text from pitcher struck by liner

PITTSBURGH -- Jordy Mercer received a text message late Thursday night that made it a lot easier for the shortstop to fall asleep.

Within five minutes of texting Dan Jennings, Mercer heard back from the Marlins' reliever, who let him know that he was going to be all right. Hours earlier, the two were involved in a frightening moment at PNC Park when Mercer hit a line drive, which struck the pitcher in the side of the head.

A CT scan on Jennings came back negative, and he spent the night in a Pittsburgh hospital after being diagnosed with a concussion, where he got Mercer's well wishes.

"I told him, 'My thoughts and prayers are with you and it's really, really good to hear from you,'" said Mercer, who got Jennings' number from fellow Pirate Tony Watson -- a college teammate of the reliever at the University of Nebraska. "That goes a long ways and made me sleep better last night."