Upton hit in head, removed as precaution

PHOENIX Diamondbacks All-Star right fielder Justin Upton was removed from Sundays game after being hit by a pitch in the head in the first inning, but the D-backs said tests were negative and they are optimistic that his injury is not severe. Upton, who has been hit by a pitch 19 times this season (tied for the National League lead), remained in the game after taking a Tim Lincecum fastball off the bill of his helmet and scored from first base when Miguel Montero followed with a two-run double. But Upton felt nauseous after running the bases hard and was replaced in the field in the second inning. D-backs orthopedist Dr. Michael Lee said Upton passed a CT scan and neurological tests with flying colors but will be tested again Monday, with the results to be compared to the baseline test Upton and all D-backs were given this spring. Nausea can be a symptom of a concussion or brain damage, Lee said, but at this point he doesn't believe Upton suffered a concussion. "It could have been that he had what we call a 'sympathetic output,' where he was just very excited, concerned and worried that he got hit, and then he had a full, explosive athletic endeavor and he developed some nausea from that. He recovered perfectly from that -- had no more nausea, no more vomiting following that, Lee said. "He doesnt even have a headache at this point in time. Our concerns are on the lower side, but we are going to watch him carefully to make sure he is fine. Upton has been a major cog in the D-backs offense while inserting himself into the MVP conversation with a breakout season. He is hitting .291 with 39 doubles, 31 homers and 88 RBIs while hitting third in the order all season. After hitting Upton, Lincecum walked toward the plate in an attempt to say something to Upton, but he did not reach him. "I know situations like that are kind of scary, Lincecum said. "I definitely wanted to go in there and see if he was all right. During the game, I had one of the players send a message over there saying that it was a complete accident and I had no intention of doing that. I wanted to know if he was all right. He sent back that he was fine and he had to go get a concussion test ... and it came back negative. The D-backs (93-66), who clinched their first NL West title since 2007 on Friday, finish the season with three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers as they attempt to catch Milwaukee for home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.