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Blue Jays pitcher T.J. House leaves field in ambulance after line drive to the head
No matter how many times we see it, it’s no less frightening. A pitcher took a line drive to the head Friday, laid motionless on the ground immediately after and stayed down for about 20 minutes, until an ambulance drove onto the field to help him to the hospital.
It was Toronto Blue Jays pitcher T.J. House, a 27-year-old reliever who spent parts of the last three seasons with the Cleveland Indians. He was facing the Detroit Tigers in the ninth inning of Friday’s game. The liner hit House in the head and jumped about 30 feet in the air, said Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.
It was a scary scene, obviously, but it ended on a hopeful note, as House gave a thumbs up as he was lifted off the field to the fans and players who had fallen quiet while he was on the ground.
Ambulance now on the field for T.J. House. pic.twitter.com/9caHtEzUCa
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) March 10, 2017
Since it was the ninth inning and the Blue Jays were leading 6-2, the game was called then and there. We don’t immediately know House’s condition or prognosis, but both managers made it sound rough for House:
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons says TJ House was talking after the incident. Gibbons also says House indicated "he could feel everything."
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) March 10, 2017
Gibbons on House: "I don't want to go into all the specifics. He took a good shot. They took him away. He's talking and moving."
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) March 10, 2017
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus says TJ House was "bleeding quite a bit. There was blood on his face, blood in his glove, everything."
— Arden Zwelling (@ArdenZwelling) March 10, 2017
Baseball has seen a number of pitchers injured in comebackers in recent years. Most recently, Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker needed emergency surgery to stop brain bleeding after getting hit last September.
The league has worked with third parties to make protective caps for pitchers to wear on the field. They’re optional, but available, and hardly ever used. Most pitchers — even some who have been hit by a comebacker — say the prototypes aren’t conducive to pitching in a big-league game.
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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @MikeOz
