Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Ryan Vogelsong left Monday’s matinee versus the Colorado Rockies after being hit in the face by a pitch in the bottom of the second inning. Vogelsong was behind on a no-balls, two-strikes count when Colorado’s Jordan Lyles came up and in with a 92 mph fastball that sailed right at the batter’s head.
The 38-year-old was face-down for several minutes, surely in shock and pain, as trainers took a look at him and evaluated his condition. The pitcher apparently never lost consciousness, as he was moving his feet while down on the ground, but a towel was applied to Vogelsong’s head as he was bleeding and eventually sat up. Vogelsong was carted off the field and placed in a neck brace before being transferred directly into an ambulance.
You can see video of the incident here:
If you’re curious where exactly in the face Vogelsong was hit, an image snapped by Pittsburgh Post-Gazette photographer Christopher Horner captured that all too clearly.
#Pirates pitcher Ryan Vogelsong is hit in the face by a pitch during the 2nd inning against the Rockies today. pic.twitter.com/E7bIvx5huw
— Christopher Horner (@Hornerfoto1) May 23, 2016
In this case, the photograph really does say everything. You can see the impact of the baseball on Vogelsong’s face. Hell, you can almost feel it when looking at that photo.
Jeff Locke came in to pinch-run for Vogelsong, and Wilfredo Boscan took over to pitch for the Pirates in the top of the third inning. No updates on Vogelsong’s condition as of this writing, but we’ll provide pertinent information as it becomes available.
UPDATE: Pirates trainer Todd Tomczyk spoke to the press after Pittsburgh’s 6-3 win and provided some explanation about Vogelsong’s injury. Further updates are expected Tuesday after Vogelsong’s condition has been evaluated.
Head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk said Vogelsong's injury was to his "eye itself," including orbital bone around it. Still being evaluated.
— Adam Berry (@adamdberry) May 23, 2016
