Taylor Featherston feels ‘terrible’ about throw that hit Robinson Cano

Taylor Featherston was happy the Angels defeated the Seattle Mariners, 4-2, on Saturday night, but the Angels’ rookie infielder repeatedly said after the game that he felt “terrible” about hitting Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano in the head with the ball on an errant warm-up throw.

Cano was in the dugout before the top of the seventh inning when Featherston’s throw sailed over first baseman Albert Pujols and struck Cano in the forehead. Pujols slammed his glove onto the ground.

Cano, a six-time All-Star in his second season with the Mariners, was examined for a possible concussion but was diagnosed with a contusion and is listed as day-to-day.

Featherston said the throw “just got away” and that he called Cano immediately after the game to apologize.

“I feel terrible about it,” Featherston said. “It never happened to me before and I can only hope and pray it never happens again.”

Featherston said he saw the ball strike Cano and “just cringed.”

“You never want to inflict anything on anybody else,” he said.

Featherston made a throwing error in the eighth inning on a ball hit by Cano’s replacement, Willie Bloomquist, but said it was unrelated to the aftermath of his errant throw that hit Cano.

“My feet and hands weren’t working together on that play and I kind of rushed it and pulled it,” he said. “I don’t think it had any correlation.”

Cano told the Associated Press he had been hit in the head before, “but I’ve never had anything happen like this.”

“He’s a young guy,” Cano said of Featherston, “but I don’t think there’s a reason for him to throw that hard between innings. I didn’t hear anything. It hurts more when you don’t expect it. Hopefully, everything goes well through the night and I feel good enough to play.”

The Angels conclude their series against the Mariners on Sunday.

Twitter: @latimesklein