Billy Hamilton robs Ryan Braun of home run, suffers mild concussion hitting wall

Cincinnati Reds outfielder Billy Hamilton has been a human-highlight reel throughout his rookie campaign. Unfortunately, though, we may have witnessed his final highlight this season on Wednesday, after Hamilton suffered what’s reported to be a mild concussion after crashing into the wall at Great American Ballpark while robbing Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun of a home run.

With two outs in the third inning, Braun hit a drive to straight away center that continued carrying and hooking away from Hamilton toward left-center. Hamilton had it measured the entire way and even slowed his approach as he neared a fenced section of the wall directly in front of Cincinnati’s bullpen.

With a perfectly timed leap, Hamilton was able to get his glove above the wall to make the catch, but the awkward angle and momentum from his leap still carried him head and shoulder first into the wall. Unfortunately, it looked like his head smacked the top portion of the wall which sticks out a bit from the fenced area. It’s padded, but Hamilton caught the edge and apparently hit it hard enough to cause some damage.

Hamilton immediately came away holding his head but temporarily remained in the game. He was removed before Cincinnati took the field in the fifth, and the team later confirmed the concussion diagnosis.

Billy Hamilton left the game earlier with a mild concussion. #Reds

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 25, 2014

The use of the word mild suggests there’s no long term concern for Hamilton’s health, but concussions are always concerning because of the unpredictable recovery and the susceptibility to sustaining another one down the road. In Hamilton’s case, though, he’ll have plenty of time to recover. 

Hamilton has been a top contender for National League Rookie of the Year all season long thanks largely to his game-changing baserunning and defensive plays like this one. His effort certainly won’t hurt his chances, but the result likely robs him from adding to his resume. New York Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom is probably Hamilton’s closest competition on the heels of a strong second half, but he too has been shut down for the season. 

Milwaukee went on to defeat Cincinnati 5-0, keeping its bleak postseason hopes alive for at least a few more hours. A San Francisco win in Los Angeles would officially eliminate them. 

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813