New York Yankees pitcher Bryan Mitchell was in the middle of a scary scene Monday, when a line drive off the bat of the Minnesota Twins' Eduardo Nunez struck him in the face.
He has been diagnosed with a "small nasal fracture," according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Continue for updates.
Mitchell Leaves Game Under Own Power
Monday, Aug. 17
Mitchell took the liner off his face in the second inning of Monday’s 8-7, 10-inning win. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com described the scene:
MLB.com provided video of the injury:
Jack Curry of the YES Network added a terrifying caveat to the play:
Mitchell was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital for further evaluation right after the injury, per Hoch.
Nunez commented on the play after the game, per Brendan Kuty of the Star-Ledger:
Entering play Monday, Mitchell had a 3.72 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in nine appearances for the Yankees. He lost his only start of the season prior to Monday against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 1, but his versatility and ability to serve as a spot starter will be valuable if he's healthy, as the campaign enters the stretch run.
New York is in the midst of a stretch of 16 games in 16 days and is not off again until Aug. 27. Mitchell joined the staff so the Yankees would have six starters during this period, but the fact that he left in the second inning could prove taxing for the relief corps.
Fortunately for the Yankees, Masahiro Tanaka pitched a complete game Saturday, so at least the bullpen was well-rested coming into Monday’s contest. That won't be the case after it pitched nearly an entire game following Mitchell's exit.
New York is in a battle for the American League East crown with the Toronto Blue Jays and needs all the pitching it can get with less than two months remaining in the season. The potential loss of Mitchell will put even more stress on the remaining arms as the year progresses.
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