P-Nats Derek Norris back in lineup; Peacock update

Potomac Nationals catcher Derek Norris back behind the plate tonight for the P-Nats. Norris was hit in the head by a 95 mile per hour fastball 11 days ago and was cleared to play tonight. Norris told me last week that the helmet saved him from serious injury. Similar to Norris, teammate and catcher Brian Peacock is recovering from also getting hit in the batting helmet two days ago by a pitch. According to pitching coach Paul Menhart, Peacock is doing much better today. The P-Nats reported the incident over the weekend: Brian Peacock was drilled in the helmet with a Michael Lee fastball in the seventh inning, laid relatively motionless in the batters' box for nearly ten minutes, and was helicoptered to a nearby hospital for testing. Peacock was moving and conscious when he left the field, and gave the large Pfitzner Stadium crowd a thumbs off as he left the field on a stretcher. A CT scan following the game came back negative. Peacock has been placed on the disabled list and Norris has been activated from the DL. Outfielder Boomer Whiting makes the big jump from High-A to Triple-A today. Whiting has been promoted to AAA Syracuse and Chris Curran has been recalled from Vermont. Curran had been at Extended Spring in Florida.