There’s always going to be the risk of injury in pretty much any sport. When it involves baseball, though, there are plenty of outside factors considering the type of equipment players use.

There are bats and baseballs and helmets and cleats. And for those playing at Sovereign Bank Stadium in the future, they will no longer have to worry about the concrete walls in the outfield.

Padding is set to be installed on the concrete walls very soon, York Revolution president and general manager Eric Menzer confirmed Thursday afternoon.

“In fact, it actually just arrived today,” he said.

The move is being made after Road Warriors center fielder Kenny Kelly collided with the concrete wall in right-center field as he was fielding a fly ball during a game against the Revs on June 20 (pictured above).

Kelly was knocked unconscious for about a minute. He was later fitted with a neck brace, placed on a board and taken off the field by ambulance.

Kelly suffered a concussion, three facial fractures on the left side of his face and a cut on his left shoulder and chin.

After the game, Revs manager Andy Etchebarren said it would be a “pretty good idea” to put padding on the walls. Several players agreed, including former Revs outfielder Val Majewski.
“What happened today was scary and unfortunate but that’s something that can be prevented with padding,” Majewski had said.

Currently a part of the left-center field wall and all of right-center field wall are concrete. Those sections will now be covered by padding.

“There is padding around infield sections by the bases, but those have been there since the park opened. So, obviously we wanted to match that. Once we made the decision (to get padding) we went out and got competitive pricing,” Menzer said.

Other stadium work: Among other work being done to the stadium, the club store is currently being renovated.

“It’s five years old. In retail, five years is old. There will be new carpet, new fixtures, paint and wallpaper. It will re-open in early April,” Menzer said.

Other projects at the stadium will include repairs to some cracks in the concrete on the concourse. A new pole will be installed that will help keep in place the gates in center field, which often flew open last season during windy days. The bottom-right section of the video board in right field, which often malfunctioned last season, will be replaced. Also, new tile will be put in the clubhouse showers.

Formers Revs doing well in spring training: Former Revolution relievers Scott Rice and Mike DeMark are performing well at big league spring training camp. Read more on the news at the Revs’ blogtoblogchamps blog.

Sugar Land goes green: The Skeeters posted pictures to their Facebook page of the grass being laid at Constellation Field in Sugar Land. Check them out here.

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It could be just a coincidence.

But Road Warriors outfielder Kenny Kelly thinks there are bigger things at work.

Kelly made his return to the Road Warriors for the first time in nearly a month on Monday night. And he did it at Sovereign Bank Stadium — the same place that took the game of baseball away from him temporarily on June 20, when he ran into the right-center-field wall while fielding a fly ball.

“Maybe it’s just a coincidence in my first game back this year is at the last place I got injured. But I think it’s a blessing. I think the Lord did that for a reason,” Kelly said.

In the June 20 game against the York Revolution, Kelly was knocked unconscious in the collision with the cement wall in right-center field and taken off the field by ambulance.

He suffered a concussion, three facial fractures on the left side of his face, a cut on his chin, a bruised left knee and a one-inch deep puncture to his left shoulder that was caused by a nail that holds up an advertisement sign in the outfield.

Kelly had said that on the day he was injured he thought the wall was padded. York players and coaches had said after that game that padding should be put on the walls in the outfield. Revolution president and general manager Eric Menzer said Monday that team officials will discuss options this offseason on how to improve the safety of the field for players.

Recovery: Kelly had been recovering in his hometown of Tampa, Fla., where a doctor gave him a second opinion on possible surgery to repair his facial fractures.

“I had one doctor saying I needed surgery and another one saying I didn’t. I took a chance with what the (second) doctor said. But we’re gonna evaluate my progress and see how it goes after the season,” Kelly said.

The Road Warriors have been supportive of Kelly’s return. That was evident before Monday’s game when a few of Kelly’s teammates were ribbing the outfielder by taping an outline of his body on the outfield wall and making Kelly pose next to it for pictures.

“I appreciate the guys, all of the love and support they have given me. It definitely made me coming back a lot easier,” Kelly said.

The first thing he did on Monday was walk along the entire length of the outfield to make sure he knew his bearings.

“I walked the whole warning track just to see where all the (cement) areas and wood areas are so now I know,” he said.

Kelly said he’ll continue to chase down fly balls aggressively when playing in York, but he might slow down when he gets to the warning track.

“I’m going to be a lot more cautious than I was last time because I think I’d be a fool to come here and run into the wall a second time,” he said. “I may be crazy, but I’m not stupid.”

Kelly still gets occasional headaches when he goes to sleep at night and feels dizzy at times when he wakes up. His left shoulder and left knee are still sore. And his facial fractures are causing some bleeding in his sinuses and require him to eat soft foods because of the soreness.

“There’s not much you can do with fractures in your face (other) than to rest and let it heal. But the doctor said if I have one more trauma like that I could die. So, I gotta take it easy,” he said.

Kelly got the OK to return to baseball with the requirement that he wears a protective batting helmet when at the plate. The helmet features a clear, plastic mask that covers his face, similar to those used in hockey.

He appeared to not have any problems with the helmet on Monday, going 2-for-4 at the plate. He also fielded a couple fly balls hit his way.

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