Cincinnati Reds fireballer Aroldis Chapman had to be carted off the field during the 6th inning of their Cactus League matchup with the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.
During the 6th inning, Chapman delivered a pitch to Royals catcher Sal Perez who lined it directly back into Chapman’s face. The pitcher immediately hit the deck and began squirming around on the mound. Play was immediately stopped as coaches, medical personal and umpires came to the aid of Perez.
According to Cincinnati Reds Twitter, Chapman was transported to Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City where it was discovered that he had sustained a fracture above his left eye. Since then, he has been transferred to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center to undergo more testing. While the incident looked horrific, they also said that Chapman never lost consciousness.
In addition, Chapman’s father was at the game and ended up on the field looking after his son. The umpires, Royals coach Ned Yost and Reds coach Bryan Price decided to end the game in the 6th inning after the incident.
According to Royals beat writer Andy McCullough from the Kansas City Star, Sal Perez was seen weeping as he left the field.
