New York Mets player suffers nasal fractures after getting hit in the face by a 94 mph fastball
New York Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar will meet with a specialist after he suffered multiple nasal fractures when a 94 mph fastball hit him, the team said Tuesday.
Pillar was struck by the pitch from Atlanta Braves pitcher Jacob Webb in the seventh inning in Monday night’s game. The frightening video shows Pillar fall in pain and with blood streaming out of his nose. He was able to walk off the field.
The athlete will meet with a facial specialist in Atlanta, where the team was playing, to “determine next steps,” the Mets said.
“I feel really good actually,” Pillar said Tuesday. “My right eye a little bit right now is suffering from a little bit of swelling and I can’t really breathe out of my nose, but besides that, I feel good.
“I feel lucky and just kind of excited to start this recovery, get back to doing what I like doing,” he added.
A tweet from his teammate Marcus Stroman said Pillar walked into the clubhouse Tuesday saying, “Am I in the lineup today or what?”
Referring to Webb, Pillar said he understands accidents happen and the two of them have communicated since the hit.
“I’m almost more worried about him than I am myself because I know, I saw his reaction, and I know how tough that could be on someone who feels responsible for someone getting injured, how he feels,” Pillar said.
Following the hit, Pillar was taken to the hospital to get a CT scan, the Mets tweeted. “Thinking of our guy,” the team wrote.
The Mets won the game Monday night, 3-1, and also defeated the Braves, 4-3, on Tuesday night at Truist Park.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated which player was injured. Kevin Pillar suffered multiple nasal fractures.