It’s one of those moments that makes your stomach drop every single time you see the replay. You’ve probably seen it. May 2019, Minute Maid Park. Albert Almora Jr., then with the Chicago Cubs, rips a line drive foul into the stands along the third-base line.
Then, the silence.
The immediate, soul-crushing realization on Almora’s face told the whole story before the cameras even found the stands. He fell to his knees. He put his hands on his head. He was inconsolable. But while the baseball world watched a grown man weep on the field, a two-year-old girl was being rushed into the tunnels, her life changed in a fraction of a second.
Honestly, the Albert Almora foul ball child story is the reason you see floor-to-ceiling netting at every MLB stadium today. It wasn't just a "scary moment"—it was a medical catastrophe that forced a billion-dollar industry to finally stop making excuses about "sightlines."
The Injury: It Was Way Worse Than People Realize
A lot of folks think she just got a bump on the head or a nasty bruise. That is fundamentally wrong. The ball was moving at over 100 mph. For a two-year-old, that’s not a foul ball; it’s a missile.
The actual medical reality was grim. According to the family’s attorney, Richard Mithoff, the little girl suffered:
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- A skull fracture.
- Subdural bleeding (bleeding on the brain).
- Brain contusions and significant swelling (edema).
- A seizure immediately following the impact.
Doctors eventually described the damage as the equivalent of a stroke. It affected her central nervous system, her spatial awareness, and her sensation. When people ask what happened to the Albert Almora foul ball child, they often expect a "she's all better now" ending. The truth is more complicated. By early 2020, her lawyer confirmed the brain injury was permanent.
She was experiencing night terrors. She had "staring spells" where she’d go completely unresponsive. For a long time, she had to stay on heavy anti-seizure medication just to function.
Where is the child now?
The last major public update came around August 2021. This is when the family reached a confidential settlement with the Houston Astros.
While we don't know the dollar amount—and we likely never will—the legal resolution brought some much-needed good news regarding her health. At that time, she was four years old. Her attorney noted that she had been seizure-free for 22 months.
That's huge.
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Doctors had been able to gradually "wean" her off some of the anti-seizure meds. While the brain damage itself is technically permanent because brain tissue doesn't just "grow back" like a lizard's tail, the family expressed a lot of hope that she could lead a relatively normal life.
She's school-aged now. We don't see her in the news because the parents have been incredibly disciplined about her privacy. They didn't want her to be "the foul ball girl" for the rest of her life. They just wanted her to be a kid.
Why Albert Almora Jr. was never the same
You have to feel for Almora. He’s a dad. He has two sons.
After it happened, he was seen crying on the shoulder of a security guard. He tried to stay in the game, but his head wasn't there. Many fans and analysts point to this specific incident as a turning point in his career. Before the 2019 season, he was a rising star with a Gold Glove-caliber glove. After the incident, his offensive numbers took a sharp dive.
It's heavy stuff. Imagine going to work and accidentally causing permanent brain damage to a toddler. It’s a burden most of us can’t comprehend. He eventually left the Cubs, bounced around the Mets and Reds systems, but the shadow of that night in Houston followed him everywhere.
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How this changed MLB forever
Before this, MLB was stubborn. They’d suggest "expanded netting" but left it up to the teams. Some teams did it; some didn't. They were scared fans would complain that the "netting ruined the view."
The Albert Almora foul ball child incident ended that debate.
By the start of the 2020 season, all 30 Major League clubs had extended their netting. Many went all the way to the foul poles. The league realized that a "good view" wasn't worth the risk of a child leaving on a stretcher.
Key Safety Takeaways for Fans
- Don't rely on the "foul ball" rule: The "Baseball Rule" used to protect teams from lawsuits, but that’s changing. Courts are starting to side with fans more often.
- Statistically, the third-base side is dangerous: Right-handed hitters (who make up the majority of the league) tend to pull line drives toward the third-base dugout. That's exactly where this child was sitting.
- Pay attention even behind the net: Nets can "give" or even fail. If you’re in those first few rows, your phone should stay in your pocket during live play.
The story of the Albert Almora foul ball child is a tragedy with a silver lining of progress. It forced a conversation about safety that was 100 years overdue. Today, the girl is living a private life, hopefully thriving, while every stadium in America is safer because of the pain her family endured.
If you're heading to a game this season, check the stadium’s netting policy. Most parks now offer "netted" seating charts so you can pick exactly how much protection you want between you and a 110-mph line drive.