During a tense moment in Baltimore on Tuesday night, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer was struck on the helmet by a fastball clocked at 96 mph.
In the ninth inning, with the Orioles just two outs away from a win, Kade Strowd, pitching for Toronto, delivered a pitch that Springer unfortunately didn’t avoid. This was the first throw he saw.
Strowd showed visible distress after the incident while Springer remained on the field for a period before being assisted off by a trainer.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider later remarked that it could have been much worse, saying, “It hit him in the shoulder before striking the helmet. Thankfully, he managed to turn a bit.” These comments came during a post-game interview.
At the time of the media briefing, Schneider noted that Springer was undergoing evaluation and would not be part of the starting lineup for their doubleheader the following day.
This incident follows the recent news that the Blue Jays placed catcher Alejandro Kirk on the seven-day concussion list. Currently, Toronto maintains a 5.5 game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East.
Springer has had a strong season, boasting a .291 batting average, his best since .292 in Houston back in 2019, along with a .383 on-base percentage. He also hit 19 home runs this year.
