There was a frightening moment in Wednesday night’s MLB game in St. Louis between the hometown Cardinals and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Phillies slugger Bryce Harper was hit in the face by a 97 mph fastball during his at-bat in the top of the sixth inning.
A replay shows Harper tried to get his right hand up to block the ball but the pitch from Genesis Cabrera of the Cardinals struck Harper straight-on instead.
Harper immediately went down to the ground and appeared to be checking himself for blood or other signs of injury. He was soon joined by a Phillies teammate and was met by a team trainer as he walked off the field.
A cut was seen on the left side of Harper’s nose as he left the dugout and headed into the clubhouse. He did not return, according to ESPN.
The teams were tied at 3-3 at the time but Philadelphia ultimately won 5-3.
Harper posted a video after the game.
“Whaddup, everybody? Bryce Harper here. Everything feels good. Everything came back good,” he said.
“CT, all that kind of stuff. So, face is still there. We’re all good. See you guys soon.”
https://twitter.com/Phillies/status/1387608498310107139
Cabrera apologized after the game, ESPN reported.
“My prayers go out to Bryce Harper,” the pitcher said. “I really wish him the best. I hope he has a speedy recovery.
The pitcher claimed the ball simply got away from him and he was not deliberately throwing at Harper.