KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs trainer Rick Burkholder defended his medical staff's response to an eye injury sustained by Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy in last week's game, adding Friday that he also spoke with the Baltimore medical staff and exchanged text messages with coach John Harbaugh to “clear the air.”
Van Noy hurt his right eye in the third quarter of the first NFL game last week, which Kansas City won 27-20. He said later that he was “disappointed” about how long it took for the Chiefs doctors to see him in the locker room after leaving the field.
“We respect the Ravens. We respect their medical staff. I respect Kyle as a player and I'm pretty upset that he was upset,” Burkholder said. “When he went down, I went out there because I thought he had a head or neck injury. I asked their physician if they wanted an opthamologist at the time. They did not.”
The Ravens' medical staff decided later that Van Noy should have the eye specialist examine him after all, so they asked the Chiefs to summon the ophthalmologist. It took 12 minutes for the doctor to be found and reach the locker room.
There is no NFL mandate to have an opthamologist or dentist available. The Chiefs provide both as courtesies to visiting teams.
“I'm sorry he was upset,” Burkholder said. “I think we worked it out with the Ravens."
The NFL likewise said in a statement Thursday night that it had discussed the case with officials from the the Ravens and Chiefs, and the league had determined that Van Noy received “appropriate” care from the Kansas City medical staff.
Van Noy had made his displeasure known on his podcast Tuesday with retired defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
“When you get hurt, especially something that can be serious like mine was, you’re supposed to rely on the team’s training staff or their doctors, and I was supposed to see an ophthalmologist,” Van Noy said. “They took an entire quarter to get down to talk to me in the locker room, which to me is unacceptable because then you start thinking, ’What if I was trying to go back in the game? What if I was really, really hurt? I know mine happened to be moderate, but it still was serious because it’s an eye.”
NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell, who visited the Ravens on Thursday as part of his league-wide tour, told reporters the medical treatment on-site should be provided “as quickly as possible” under the collective bargaining agreement.
“I think this was an unfortunate situation where that did not occur,” Howell said. “Thank God for Kyle’s situation (that) it wasn’t worse. But here we are with the first game of the season; we got many more games to play. We just can’t have that.”
The NFL said in its statement that it was "disappointing the NFLPA would publicize unsupported conclusions without attempting to understand the facts"."
AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
FILE - Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy walks of the field after being injured during the second half of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
FILE -Baltimore Ravens linebacker Kyle Van Noy takes part in drills before the start of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024 in Kansas City, Mo. The Chiefs defeated the Ravens by a score of 27-20. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann, File)
BALTIMORE (AP) — Blake Snell struck out 12 over six innings and allowed just one hit to carry the San Francisco Giants past the faltering Baltimore Orioles 10-0 on Tuesday night.
The Orioles have lost seven of nine to fall four games behind the first-place Yankees in the AL East. Baltimore held a half-game lead on Sept. 5 before its current tailspin, during which it has been outscored 46-18.
Colton Cowser had two of the Orioles' five hits in their most lopsided shutout loss of the season.
“We've been scuffling offensively,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “We had a tough night.”
In this one, the Giants got the only run they needed when Mike Yastrzemski drove the second pitch from Orioles starter Albert Suárez (8-6) over the right-field wall. Yastrzemski added an RBI single in the second after a sacrifice fly by Brett Wisely, and Snell had no problem making the lead stand up.
“Getting runs early on, it feels good to pitch with a lead,” Snell said. “You can be more aggressive.”
Facing a Baltimore lineup without several injured starters, Snell (4-3) flashed the form that enabled him to win the 2023 NL Cy Young Award. The left-hander had at least two strikeouts in every inning but the fourth, and made up for it by striking out the side in the fifth.
“We faced one of the better pitches in the game, and we didn't swing the bats well against him,” Hyde said.
Snell struck out All-Star Gunnar Henderson three times, the last one in the sixth to culminate his 98-pitch masterpiece.
“Gunnar. Changeups. He just struggles with them," Snell said. “A lot of lefties do.”
Snell waked two, and the only hit he allowed was a solid third-inning single up the middle by Emmanuel Rivera.
“I like where I was at mentally today,” Snell said.
Since his return from the injured list on July 9 following a groin strain, Snell is 4-0 with a 1.33 ERA with 105 strikeouts in 74 1/3 innings.
“The guy's unbelievable. He's on top of it right now,” Yastrzemski said. “He's a special pitcher. It's pretty cool to see how dominant he can be.”
San Francisco turned the game into a rout with a six-run ninth against Craig Kimbrel, who long ago lost his job as Baltimore's closer due to ineffectiveness.
The Giants snapped a four-game losing streak to begin their final road trip of the season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Giants: SS Tyler Fitzgerald returned to the starting lineup after missing three games with lower back tightness. ... INF Matt Chapman headed home to be with his wife, who was ready to give birth.
Orioles: INF Jordan Westburg (hand) took batting practice and is expected to return before the end of the regular season, general manager Mike Elias said. ... 1B Ryan Mountcastle (wrist) is working out in Florida and has a chance to return before October. ... INF Ramón Urías (ankle sprain) could come off the IL before the end of the season, Elias said. ... RHP Grayson Rodriguez (lat strain) is making progress. But Elias said, “Time and the calendar is not our friend.”
UP NEXT
Hayden Birdsong (3-5, 4.74 ERA) starts for the Giants against Dean Kremer (7-9, 4.10 ERA) on Wednesday night.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
San Francisco Giants second baseman Donovan Walton (18) dives to field a ball hit by Baltimore Orioles' Anthony Santander to make the throw to first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. for the out during the second inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Albert Suarez delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants' Grant McCray slides into first base after running through on a single line drive during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants' Grant McCray advances toward home plate to score on an RBI single hit in by Donovan Walton during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Blake Snell delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
