Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was taken to hospital after being struck in the face by a 105mph foul ball during Thursday night's match against the Baltimore Orioles at Steinbrenner Field in Florida.
The 27-year-old relief pitcher was hit when Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman fouled a pitch sharply into the home dugout during the seventh inning.
Bigge, who is currently on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain, had been leaning against the dugout railing when the ball struck him.
The incident caused an eight-minute delay to the match, which Baltimore eventually won 4-1.
Hunter Bigge was put in a neck brace after the incident
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Emergency medical personnel rushed to the scene immediately after the incident.
Bigge was placed in a neck brace and on a backboard before being transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital for assessment.
Despite the frightening nature of the injury, the pitcher remained conscious throughout and was able to communicate with medical staff.
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Hunter Bigge gave a thumbs up to confirm to fans he was okay
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He gave a thumbs-up gesture to the crowd as he was taken from the field, drawing a standing ovation from spectators at Steinbrenner Field.
Rays manager Kevin Cash confirmed after the match that Bigge never lost consciousness and was undergoing tests at hospital.
"Certainly you feel for Hunter and his wife. I can't imagine what she and he were going through," Cash said.
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"Scary for everybody, none more than them."
Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino described the incident as "terrifying", adding: "I mean, we all sit in these dugouts every night and in a lot of ways you kind of feel like sitting ducks."
Rutschman, who struck the foul ball, expressed his distress about the incident.
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Adley Rutschman described the incident as 'really scary'
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"It's really, really scary," he said. "I haven't really been a part of something like that. You never want to see that."
Bigge was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 12th round of the 2019 amateur draft from Harvard University.
He made his major league debut for the Cubs on 9 July last year but was traded to Tampa Bay just 19 days later alongside Christopher Morel and minor leaguer Ty Johnson in exchange for All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes.
The right-hander has compiled a 2.51 ERA and one save across 32 career appearances, including one start.
This season, he has posted a 2.40 ERA in 13 relief outings covering 15 innings before being sidelined with the muscle strain.
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