Guaranteed Rate Field fell silent as Athletics starter Chris Bassitt fell to the mound, clutching his face. He had just been struck in the face by a 100 mph line drive off the bat of Chicago White Sox outfielder Brian Goodwin in the bottom of the second inning of Tuesday night’s 9-0 loss.
The A’s said Bassitt was “conscious and aware” after being escorted off the mound, but you could see his teammates were visibly shaken.
Following the game, A’s manager Bob Melvin didn’t take any questions, but said Bassitt is conscious and was the entire time, which is good news.
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“We don’t think the eye is a problem at this point, felt like it was below it,” Melvin explained.
When Bassitt was hit, Melvin walked by A’s first baseman Matt Olson, who appeared to point to his right ear region when quickly asked by Melvin where he saw Bassitt get hit.
“He’s got some cuts, they had to do some stitches,” Melvin added. “He’s in a scan and we’ll know more about potential fractures tomorrow or later tonight.”
The A’s shutout loss didn’t feel important by the time the game was over.
White Sox manager Tony La Russa told reporters he felt the game had a dark cloud over it.
"We're all really hoping he escaped with just a bruise,” he said.
While we’re not sure how long Bassitt will be out, he has been the team’s most dependable pitcher and a team leader. Bassitt leads the AL in innings pitched (150), game starts (24) and wins (12). This season, the 2020 All-Star is boasting a 3.06 ERA with 153 strikeouts.