Walker Zimmerman is stable and responsive, says BJ Callaghan

Nashville SC defender Walker Zimmerman was stretchered off in the 72nd minute of Nashville's 2-1 loss to Charlotte FC. The defender and club captain won a header to clear the ball, but took the full brunt of a bicycle kick attempt from Kerwin Vargas to the face.

Players from both sides immediately called to the bench for medical treatment, and staff tended to him for almost eight minutes on the pitch before he was stretchered off in a neck brace.

After the match, head coach BJ Callaghan confirmed that Zimmerman has been taken to a nearby Charlotte hospital for further treatment and evaluation, but that he was "stable and responsive".

"It's being handled by the medical professionals to let that process take its place, but he's under good care," he said. "We're sending the best vibes that we can to Walker from our group."

Defender Dan Lovitz, who has played with Zimmerman since Nashville's expansion season, spoke about the difficulty of seeing a friend and teammate suffer potentially serious injury and immediately have to return to the match.

"It's tough. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't something that was tough to watch and maybe impacted us a little bit," he said. "But we pride ourselves in trying to move forward... I think we could have done a better job regulating our emotions, but quite frankly, it was a unique situation and I think something that no one ever wants to see happen."

"After the game, obviously we're upset that we lost, but more importantly we're making sure Walker's all right," he added. "But he's a tough guy. We're gonna move forward and get him incorporated as quickly as possible when he feels good enough, safe enough. Looking forward to connecting with him, but know that he's in good hands right now."

UPDATED 7:02 PM - A Nashville SC spokesperson has confirmed that Walker Zimmerman has been released from the hospital after receiving medical care.

Reaction around MLS

Unsurprisingly, thoughts around MLS immediately went towards Zimmerman's health.