Scary moment for Rangers as line drive breaks jaw of pitcher Luke Farrell
Texas Rangers pitcher Luke Farrell was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture on the right side of his jaw after after he was struck by a line drive while pitching the ninth inning in a scoreless tie against the San Francisco Giants.
Farrell struck out the first batter he faced but couldn’t get his glove up to stop a liner from Jalen Miller. Farrell was bleeding from his mouth and needed some assistance as he left field and was taken to the hospital across the street from Scottsdale Stadium.
The Rangers reported that Farrell, who was making his third appearance of the spring, was alert and headed for an x-ray machine, which showed a fracture. He was released from the hospital and will be examined Sunday by a dentist and a facial surgeon.
“We don’t have a lot on that, but he got hit in the jaw area,” manager Chris Woodward said shortly after the game. “He was bleeding, obviously. It was scary moment.”
Farrell, 27, was acquired in the off-season on a waiver claim from the Los Angeles Angels. The 6-foot-6 right-hander has only 44 1/3 innings in his MLB career, 31 1/3 of them coming last season for the Chicago Cubs.
“That’s the worst feeling,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “You hate to see that. You’re so close to the hitter, and believe me, I had a son that pitched and that’s your biggest fear. A line drive back at him, it’s hard to see. He’s walking on his own, and that’s always a great sign.”
This story was originally published March 2, 2019 at 5:15 PM.
