Cleveland Guardians designated hitter David Fry was rushed to the hospital after being struck in the face by a 99 mph fastball from Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal.
The incident occurred on Tuesday (September 23) night in the sixth inning of Cleveland’s 5-2 win over the Tigers.
With no outs and a 2-1 count, Fry squared around to bunt a high and inside fastball from Skubal.
The pitch, traveling at 99.1 mph, caught the Guardians star on the nose after glancing off his bat.
The 29-year-old was on the ground and clutched his bloodied face as Skubal, visibly shaken by the incident, tossed his glove and cap aside while Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt and athletic trainers rushed onto the field.
Fry remained on the ground for several minutes.
Eventually, he was helped to his feet and gave a thumbs-up to the crowd as he was carted off the field.
He was later transported to Lutheran Medical Center for initial treatment before being moved to the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus for further testing and observation.
The Guardians stated that they would provide an update on his condition the following morning.
“It was straight to the face,” Vogt said, per NBC News.
“We’re all thinking about David and his family right now.
"Obviously, we’re glad he is OK, but obviously it’s a really scary moment.”
Skubal's Emotional Reaction
After the game, Skubal expressed his concern for Fry’s well-being, saying: “Really tough... I’ve already reached out to him.
"I just want to make sure he’s all right. Obviously, he seemed like he was OK coming off the field, and hopefully it stays that way.”
Skubal, who acknowledged that health is more important than the game itself, added: “I look forward to hopefully at some point tonight or (Wednesday) morning getting a text from him and making sure he’s all good because there’s things that are bigger than the game and the health of him is more important than a baseball game.”
Fry's Teammates Spoke Out
Fry’s teammates also shared their thoughts after the devastating incident.
Left fielder Steven Kwan said: “Definitely really scary. For David to even try something like that, that’s just who he is."
"Selfless kind of guy, and especially in a position like that, he’s a tough guy.
"Thankfully, he had some humor when he came up, but you don’t want to see a guy that’s been with you pretty much the whole year," he added.
Kwan also expressed how important Fry has been to the team: “Obviously, energy-wise, just who he is as a teammate, he’s meant so much to us as a team.
"It’s really scary, but thankfully, he had some humor coming off the field, so hopefully, we get some good news.”
A Wild Sixth Inning
The unsettling moment seemed to affect Skubal’s performance, as he struggled in the sixth inning.
After Fry was helped off the field, the Tigers player threw a wild pitch to George Valera, who had replaced Fry, allowing the Guardians to score a run.
Skubal also committed an error when he tried to make a blind throw to first between his legs and was called for a balk, helping Cleveland take a 3-2 lead without hitting a ball out of the infield.
Despite the rough inning, Cleveland capitalized on the Tigers’ mistakes, rallying for three runs to take control of the game.
With their 16th win in 18 games, the Guardians moved into a tie with the Tigers for the division lead, a remarkable comeback from being 15.5 games behind on July 8 and 12.5 games back as late as August 25.
The Tigers, on the other hand, have struggled in September, losing seven straight and 10 of their last 11 games.
As the division race heats up, Detroit catcher Dillon Dingler acknowledged the pressure the Tigers are facing: “It’s not quite pressing, but we definitely feel some of the pressure, and we’ve got to mitigate it. We’ve got to eliminate it. We’ve still got to find ways to stay loose, focus in and hone in on what we need to do and go out there and do it.”
With Fry’s status still unclear, the Guardians will have to press on without one of their key players.