Pittsburgh Pirates’ Phillip Evans carted off field (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
After colliding with teammate Gregory Polanco, Phillip Evans is out for the season
Evans was carried off the diamond by the Pirates’ medical staff in a truly scary moment at PNC Park. While he was unconscious at the time, he quickly came to when cared to by trainers, though his jaw has been severely damaged. The collision, which has been replayed repeatedly on the Pittsburgh airwaves, came down the first-base line.
Polanco is notoriously dubious in the outfield, and this time his unfamiliarity with a new teammate led to a nearly disastrous collision in foul territory. Evans was playing first base for the first time this season, and veered out of his territory on the foul ball hit by the Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera.
Evans had been a rare bright spot for the Pirates this season
At 27, Evans has been an unlikely hero for the Pirates so far this year, hitting near the .400 mark all year. Now out for the year, the Bucs will have to look elsewhere should they want to rise from the depths of the NL Central they now sit. Walking the plank is not an option for Derek Shelton’s group (sorry, had to).
After losing the first two games in their series against the Detroit Tigers thanks to some awful pitching, the Pirates hope to salvage the final game of the three-game set on Sunday afternoon. Shelton put out his 16th different lineup in 16 games — he’s surely just doing so for fun at this point — featuring Josh Bell back at his usual first base position.
Evans, who broke his jaw on the play, will look to carry over his successful 2020 and make further impression in Spring Training down in Bradenton, Florida next April.