Kansas City Royals will extend protective netting at stadium

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals are planning to extend the netting at Kauffman Stadium to better protect fans.

The decision comes after a fan was hit by a ball Sunday during the Royals’ game against the Detroit Tigers.

Spokesman Toby Cook told KSHB-TV the girl was kept at a hospital overnight for observation and was expected to be released Monday.

He said the club had commissioned a study on how to expand the netting before Sunday’s incident. The timing of extending the netting depends on engineering and design challenges. But Cook says more netting could be added before the season ends.

Following recommendations from Major League Baseball, the Royals in 2016 extended the netting from the outside edges of the dugouts and raised it behind home plate about 8 feet.