Twins' Span lines foul ball off his mom

TAMPA, Fla. - It had to have been Denard Span's worst nightmare.

The Twins' leadoff hitter stepped to the plate in the first inning Wednesday against the Yankees and sent a screaming liner into the stands on Phil Hughes' 3-and-2 pitch.

The laser hit Span's mother in the chest. Wanda Wilson, who was wearing his No. 2 jersey with "Span" on the back, was seated near the Twins dugout in the first section and was not protected by the backstop netting.

Catcher Jorge Posada immediately ran in her direction and Span was close behind, quickly hopping the concrete barrier to get into the stands and tend to his mother, who crumpled as she was hit.

The game was delayed several minutes as paramedics tended to Wilson, who did not immediately go to the hospital. She stayed at the game and was reseated in the shade, but did leave the ballpark midway through the game with Span, who is from Tampa.

On his Twitter account later in the day Span posted: "My mom is feeling OK right now!"

It was frightening for the Yankees.

"Very scary [to see] and it had to be very scary to be that young man," Joe Girardi said. "Thank God she's OK . . . I was worried she broke her collarbone."

Said Hughes: "Really scary. It's kind of really a dangerous spot. I think they should move the nets all the way to the dugout because you can get those foul balls like that."