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Robbie Ray suffers concussion after being hit by 108 mph line drive
Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Robbie Ray received stitches and suffered a concussion after being hit on the head by a 108 mph line drive off the bat of Cardinals first baseman Luke Voit Friday night in St. Louis.
The scary scene brought a hush over Busch Stadium as Ray tumbled to the ground with blood covering his hand. Fortunately, Ray never lost consciousness on the field and was fully alert while being carted off the field. He was even able to give a thumbs up signal, which brought some ease to those concerned.
Everyone was able to fully exhale after learned that tests for fractures and other damage came back clean and Ray was able to to return to the ballpark.
Ray needed a few stitches, then returned to the park, showered and is back resting at the hotel.
— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) July 29, 2017
A thankful Ray felt well enough on Saturday to post a letter thanking fans for their support.
— Robbie Ray (@RobbieRay) July 29, 2017
Unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, they have become all too familiar with scenes like this. In 2015, pitcher Archie Bradley was struck in the face by line drive off the bat of Carlos Gonzalez. He was fortunate to walk away with damage only to his sinus cavity. Earlier this season, catcher Chris Iannetta suffered a concussion after being hit in the face with a pitch.
Ray is not completely in the clear until he passes a concussion test, but the signs are positive. That’s good news for Arizona, because losing Ray for an extended period would be a huge blow to the their postseason hopes. The 25-year-old left-hander has been a true bright spot, earning all-star honors for the first time this season. He entered Friday’s start with a 3.15 ERA and 149 strikeouts over 117 innings.
Here’s hoping he’ll be able to put Friday night behind him quickly and continue helping Arizona with its playoff push.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
