Watch: MLB Superstar Injures Himself When Batting Practice Goes Very Wrong
This is why pitchers shouldn’t hit.
Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer suffered an injury to his face Tuesday while taking batting practice before a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Scherzer squared around to bunt a few times off the batting practice pitcher when one of his bunts ricocheted off his bat right into his face.
The ball nailed him under his right eye in the area of his cheek and nose. He was bleeding and was taken to the clubhouse by trainers for further examination.
Scherzer suffered a black eye and a broken nose, MLB.com reported.
Max Scherzer indeed suffered a broken nose this afternoon in bunting mishap, the Nationals confirmed. He underwent a CAT scan that was negative. #Nationals say “status is TBD” for tomorrow’s start.
— Gabe Lacques (@GabeLacques) June 19, 2019
However, according to Nationals manager Dave Martinez, he will not miss a start.
Martinez told MLB.com that Scherzer will start the second game of a day-night doubleheader Wednesday. Patrick Corbin started the first game.
Hear Max Scherzer, after breaking his nose in BP yesterday, is still planning to pitch tonight vs. rival Phillies #MadMax
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 19, 2019
The first two games of the series on Monday and Tuesday were rained out.
It’s a big series for the Nationals, who are 33-38 and 8.5 games behind Atlanta in the NL East.
They play the Braves this week, so this could be a make-or-break stretch as Washington faces the two top teams in the division.
Scherzer, more known for his arm than his bat, has been pitching well after a rough start. He’s won his last three starts to improve to 5-5.
He has an ERA of 2.81, good for sixth in the NL, and 136 strikeouts, which is second in the majors behind the Houston Astros’ Gerrit Cole.
Like most pitchers, Scherzer’s hitting leaves a lot to be desired. His career average in 12 seasons is .187 with one home run and 29 RBIs.
The Phillies are 39-32, 2.5 games behind the Braves in the division.
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