In the second inning of the Angels’ 4-2 win, Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager hit a ball that hit Shoemaker on the right side of his head at 105 miles per hour.
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Angels general manager Billy Eppler called the surgery “fairly routine”, and expects Shoemaker to make a full recovery and hopes he can pitch next season.
His mind went elsewhere with Matt Shoemaker lying on the ground, being tended to by trainers after taking a line drive off his head. The line drive caused a small skull fracture and hematoma, and Shoemaker required emergency late-night surgery in order to stop additional bleeding.
However Major League Baseball pitcher Matt Shoemaker of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim might have trouble keeping his mind off it in the future after facing that possibility head on. The ball was traveling at an approximate speed of 105 miles per hour, according to MLB’s StatCast. He was able to turn his head slightly to avoid a direct blow to his face but was unable to get his glove up in time. He’ll remain hospitalized overnight before meeting with a neurologist Monday to further assess the damage.
The Angels announced Shoemaker suffered a laceration on the right side of his head, but was alert and responsive.
When Seager reached first base he just stared at the fallen Shoemaker. He was on all fours for a number of minutes with blood dripping from the spot of impact on the side of his head. He was helped off the field by the Angels’ training staff and taken to the local hospital.
Mike Scioscia the manager of the Angels said he felt like he had a big pit in his stomach when the incident took place. Shoemaker never lost consciousness. “I think we could exhale a little bit”, Scioscia said.
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Shoemaker eventually walked off the field with athletic trainers at his side. Deolis Guerra (3-0) was the first of the relievers to enter, followed by Jose Alvarez, Mike Morin, Cody Ege and JC Ramirez.
