Nearly four months after 12-year-old Xavier Taylor was critically injured by a baseball during warmups, his family says the young player continues to show signs of progress.

While dramatic claims circulating online have suggested that Xavier has already opened his eyes, recent reports from his family and local news outlets do not confirm that development.

Instead, the latest verified update offers a more measured picture: Xavier remains on a ventilator, but his condition has improved in several important ways.

SIGNS OF PROGRESS GIVE HIS FAMILY HOPE

Xavier was injured on May 26, 2026, shortly before a championship baseball game in Maple Shade, New Jersey.

His father, Gregory Taylor, recently said that Xavier has gained weight and is regulating his own body temperature. He has also been taken off regular medications apart from necessary nutritional support, while doctors have continued monitoring his laboratory results.

The family says these changes represent meaningful progress compared with the earliest weeks following the accident.

“He hears us. He feels the presence of us in the room,” Gregory Taylor said in an interview with CBS Philadelphia, emphasizing the family’s belief that Xavier remains connected to the people around him.

FROM THE HOSPITAL TO A CARE FACILITY

Another significant development is Xavier’s move from the hospital to a short-term care facility.

Although he remains dependent on a ventilator, the transition represents a new stage in his recovery. His family continues to work with medical professionals while hoping for further improvements.

Gregory Taylor has repeatedly emphasized that doctors initially warned the family about how serious Xavier’s condition was.

The family now focuses on each small improvement rather than setting a specific timetable for recovery.

ONLINE CLAIMS HAVE GONE BEYOND THE VERIFIED UPDATES

Because Xavier’s story has attracted enormous public attention, unverified claims about his condition have also appeared online.

Gregory Taylor recently warned about AI-generated images and false information circulating about his son, saying such material can misinform people who genuinely care about Xavier.

That makes it especially important to distinguish between what the family and established news organizations have actually reported and dramatic claims that have not been independently confirmed.

At present, there is no verified report that Xavier has opened his eyes or produced a specific three-second neurological response.

A COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO STAND BEHIND XAVIER

Support for Xavier has remained strong in Maple Shade and beyond.

More than $100,000 has reportedly been raised for the family, while community members have organized prayer gatherings and other events in his honor. Supporters have also worn “Xavier Strong” shirts and gathered to pray for his continued recovery.

A recent Prayer and Praise event brought friends, teammates and community members together at the baseball field where supporters continued to hope for Xavier’s recovery.

The family has also established the All Things Foundation in Xavier’s honor, connecting baseball, faith and community support.

THE ROAD AHEAD REMAINS LONG

Xavier’s recovery is still ongoing, and his family has not suggested that he has reached a point where doctors can predict exactly when he may regain consciousness or movement.

For now, the focus remains on the progress he has already made: gaining strength, regulating his body temperature, maintaining improving laboratory results and continuing care outside the hospital.

His family remains hopeful that these developments are steps toward further recovery.

For a 12-year-old whose life changed in an instant, every improvement matters. And for the people who have followed Xavier’s story since May, the message from his family remains clear: they are still beside him, still believing in his recovery and still taking the journey one day at a time.

SOURCE: ABC News/6abc Philadelphia; CBS Philadelphia; The Philadelphia Inquirer.