In a distressing incident during a game on Thursday night, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was carted off the field after being struck in the face by a foul ball hit into the dugout by Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. The ball, leaving Rutschman’s bat at 105 mph, hit Bigge while he was on the 15-day injured list for a lat strain. Following the impact, emergency medical personnel quickly attended to Bigge, who was placed on a backboard but remained conscious and responsive, even giving a thumbs-up to bystanders.
After several anxious minutes, during which concerned Rays players observed, Bigge was wheeled away on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. Rays manager Kevin Cash confirmed that Bigge never lost consciousness and was able to communicate with first responders. The crowd at Steinbrenner Field showed support with a standing ovation as he was transported.
The incident occurred in the top of the seventh inning, leading to an eight-minute game delay before play resumed. Despite the unfortunate event, the Orioles maintained their lead and won the game 4-1.
Bigge, a 27-year-old right-hander, was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2019 from Harvard and made his major league debut in July 2022, later being traded to Tampa Bay for All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes. Across 32 career appearances, he holds a 2.51 ERA, and this season he has achieved a 2.40 ERA in 13 relief outings spanning 15 innings. The baseball community continues to wish him a speedy recovery following this alarming incident.
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