What could happen to you if a baseball hits you in the stomache when the hitter is an adult and not far away from you?

Answer 1

It'll hurt - that's for sure. If it hits the stomach and only the stomach, you're probably looking at a nasty bruise and likely nothing worse. If it hits a little higher in the solar plexus, you'll have the wind knocked out of you and breathing will be hard for a little while. Solar plexus blows rarely require medical treatment, but they're pretty awful feeling. If the ball hits mid-chest / sternum, usually all you get is a bruised chest, but there have been very rare cases of this causing a fatal cardiac arrythmia -- chaning the heartbeat in a dangerous way. The key of course is to observe the victim after the injury and react to any damage or changes. I would also add that, with big hitters, best not to charge the plate.