Baseball fan who was 'seriously hurt' after being hit in the face by shards of a shattered bat at Fenway Park leaves hospital after a week of treatment

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WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Tonya Carpenter was injured last week watching the Boston Red Sox
Oakland Athletics player bat shattered during swing, sending shards at her
Carpenter was hit in the face and was rushed away streaming with blood
Medics have given her the all clear to leave hospital

Published: 23:16 EST, 12 June 2015 | Updated: 23:16 EST, 12 June 2015

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On the mend: Tonya Carpenter, pictured, was hit in the face by shards of baseball bat at Fenway Park in Boston on June 5 but she is now out of hospital

A Massachusetts woman who was seriously hurt when a broken bat flew into the stands at Fenway Park last week has been released from a hospital.

Officials at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston say that Tonya Carpenter was discharged and transferred to a rehabilitation center.

Doctors describe Carpenter's recovery as 'excellent' and say she's getting stronger every day.

The 44-year-old resident of Paxton, Massachusetts, suffered what police initially said were life-threatening injuries during the June 5 game between the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics.

She was struck in the head in the second inning when the bat of Oakland's Brett Lawrie broke and flew into the seats along the third-base line when he hit a ground ball.

Major League Baseball is reviewing fan safety at stadiums.

Carpenter was watching the Red Sox take on the Oakland Athletics when the freak accident injured her in the second inning. The splintered bat was being swung by Athletics third-baseman Brett Lawrie.

The game was halted for a few minutes as she was rushed out of the stadium, then resumed.

Carpenter, from Paxton, Massachusetts, works for a local construction and interior design company.

Scroll down for video...

Ordeal: She was rushed to hospital with what the police described as life-threatening injuries to her face

Progress report: Officials at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston said Friday that Tonya was transferred to a rehabilitation center. Doctors describe her recovery as 'excellent'

She was taken to the hospital in serious condition, but her condition has improved as the days have passed. On Monday, Lawrie sent her a bouquet of flower to express his sympathies.

Witness Alex Merlis was sitting in the row behind the woman when the broken bat flew into the stands.

He said: 'It was violent. She bled a lot. A lot. I don't think I've ever seen anything like that.'

Merlis said the woman had been sitting with a small child and a man. After she was injured, the man was tending to her and other people were trying to console the distraught child, he said.

Terrifying: Carpenter was seriously injured after she was struck by shards from a broken bat at Fenway Park

Treatment: Medics rushed over to the victim, who was sitting a few rows from the outfield and covered in blood

Pete Abraham, a Boston Globe reporter who was at Fenway Park, wrote on Twitter: 'A policeman was holding a young child and shielding his or her eyes. Fans in the area trying to help. Lots of blood. Awful scene.

WEEI's John Tomase added: 'It looks like fan who left game had a child with her. Child was carried out by medics while she shrieked in pain. Brutal to see and hear.'

Gordon Edes also wrote: 'Sobering to watch ushers wiping blood from row where young woman was sitting.'

Moment: The piece of wood flies off the bat from Brett Lawrie during the second inning

Incident: Lawrie, a third-baseman for the A's scored a home run in the seventh inning (pictured)

Fan stretchered off as broken bat hits her in face during game

Lawrie, who was at the plate when his bat splintered and flew backwards, told reporters after the game that fans sitting so close to the action at Fenway Park are in danger.

According to the Boston Herald, he said: 'Hopefully everything is OK and she's doing all right. You've got limited netting here in Boston.

'When you're behind home plate and you're along the third base side, the first base side, you've really got to be heads up for foul balls, kind of anything coming into the stands, because it's so close and really no time to react.'

Cleared: A white towel covered in blood stains is seen lying on top of the woman

Concerned: A friend of Carpenter's and a boy, thought to be her son, watch as she is taken to hospital

President and CEO of the Red Sox Larry Lucchino (right) comforts the man

Red Sox General Manager John Farrell shared his concern with the press after the game. He said: 'Our thoughts and concern and certainly our prayers go out. A scary moment.'

Centerfielder Mookie Betts described hearing the woman screaming in pain, then turned away at the gruesome sight of her injury.

He said: 'You never want to see anything like that. You always try to focus on the game, But it's always scary when something like that happens.

'Hopefully we can find some way to prevent those things but accidents happen. I just hope she's OK.'