Mariners pitcher George Kirby struck by baseball thrown by fan from stands

Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby was struck by a baseball thrown from the stands in a bizarre moment during Tuesday night's game against the Houston Astros.

A sixth inning foul ball off the bat of the Astros' Kyle Tucker that went into the stands on the third base side of T-Mobile Park was apparently thrown back by a fan, and it hit the pitcher on the left side of his chest as he was calling for a new ball.

Seattle manager Scott Servais came out to consult with the home plate umpire while some fans began to boo. The fan who allegedly threw the ball was shown being removed from the game.

Kirby, an All-Star this season, thankfully seemed no worse for wear, even cracking a joke about the incident after the game.

“It surprised the hell out of me," Kirby said, via Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. "I thought it was the umpire because I had my hands up and asked for the ball. I thought he threw it. I mean, it was an impressive throw. I'll give (the fan) that.”

Kirby was pulled after finishing off the sixth inning. He gave up five hits and one walk while striking out four over 84 pitches as the Mariners defeated the Astros 6-2 in a pivotal AL West matchup.

Contributing: Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mariners' George Kirby hit by baseball thrown from stands