Yahoo Finance Rangers LF Willie Calhoun suffers fractured jaw after taking 95-mph fastball to face
A scary moment hit spring training on Sunday, as Texas Rangers left fielder Willie Calhoun had to be carted off the field after taking a pitch directly to his jaw. He was later announced to have suffered a fractured jaw.
Calhoun immediately fell to the ground after taking the 95 mph fastball from Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias. Fortunately, Calhoun seemed alert as he left with the game with a towel covering his face and was reportedly taken to a hospital in Phoenix.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward accompanied Calhoun to the hospital.
Scary moment here as Willie Calhoun takes a pitch right off the jaw pic.twitter.com/C1Ep4nhg0v
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHarrisTBLA) March 8, 2020
Rangers spokesman John Blake later announced that Calhoun had suffered a fractured jaw. A day later, doctors inserted a plate in Calhoun’s jaw that will allow the player to avoid having his jaw wired shut.
Willie Calhoun did not require his jaw to be wired shut. Doctors inserted a single plate, but believe the fracture is stable enough to not require additional step.
Rangers view this as optimistic development.— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) March 10, 2020
Acquired from the Dodgers in the 2017 trade that sent Yu Darvish to Los Angeles, Calhoun has hit .258/.311/.468 in three seasons of part-time action with Texas. Entering Sunday, Calhoun was 3-for-19 with five walks in spring training.
The 25-year-old Calhoun entered spring training as the team’s starting left fielder and was also in line to see time at designated hitter. Now, he could have to miss some time, depending on his prognosis.
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