Hunter Pence is one tough dude.
The San Francisco Giants outfielder was in the batter’s box on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, when he dangerously fouled a Stephen Strasburg pitch off his face in the top of the second inning.
The ball deflected off his bat, off the dirt and hit Pence right underneath his eye. The hit left a nasty bruise, leaving Pence with an imprint of the baseball seams on the bump. It’s a gnarly battle scar.
Miraculously, despite the shiner, Pence stayed in the ballgame. Personally, I wouldn’t have the toughness to do that. The ball left a sizable bump on his face, which surely had to hurt. The fact he stayed in and continued to play is remarkable.
The 33-year-old should consider himself lucky. If the ball went a couple inches up, it would have hit him directly in the eye. The result of that, wouldn’t just sideline him, but might have ended his career. To walk away from the incident with just a bruise is the best-case scenario when a dangerous deflection happens.
Pence struck out in the at-bat, but he showcased why he’s beloved around the league. The dude wants to play, no matter what. Even if he’s got a big, bubbling bruise under his eye.
