BOSTON -- Mixed in with the stomach-churning competition between Oakland and Boston Monday night was the shocking injury of center fielder Johnny Damon.

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Liz Brunner Reports On Damon Injury Resources Concussison: Nat'l Institutes Of Health CDC: Symptoms, Treatments CDC Fact Sheet Brain Injury Of America Web Site

NewsCenter 5s Liz Brunner spoke with Damon's doctor about the injury, an injury common in competitive sports.

Damon and Damion Jackson were both focused on a fly ball hit into center field in Monday's game, but the next thing they knew, they were on the ground. Jackson was OK, but Damon got the worst of it.

Damon lost consciousness for three to four minutes. While Red Sox physician Bill Morgan wouldn't talk specifically about Damon's case, he did say the injury can sideline a player for a week.

"If someone has loss of consciousness that's less than five minutes, that's a grade two concussion and generally we expect that person to be out about a week," said Morgan.

Concussions in sports are quite common -- especially in football. They occur when a person's brain is violently rocked back inside the skull.

New England Baptist Hospital's Dr. Arnold Scheller, the Boston Celtics' physician, said Monday night's episode with Damon reminded him of when Celtic Larry Bird suffered a concussion in a game against the Indiana Pacers. Bird was able to continue the series, but Damon's injury was more severe. Before being loaded into an ambulance on the field Monday night, Damon waved to the crowd -- a good sign according to experts.

"That means he's cognizant of the situation -- he's situationally aware, and he's able to not only bring thought in, but to act on it. Those are all good signs," said Scheller.

Doctors want to be particularly careful that a player fully recovers from a concussion before returningto the game -- getting another blow to the head too soon can have damaging consequences.

"If the player comes back in seven days has had no symptoms, no headaches during that period of time, he remembers what happened at that point in time, then it's OK at that point to allow the player to return to sport," said Morgan.

When Damon returns to Boston, he will undergo further evaluation at Caritas St. Elizabeth's Medical Center to determine when he can resume play.