ATLANTA, GA – MAY 17: Kevin Pillar #11 of the New York Mets is hit by a pitch in the seventh inning of an MLB game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on May 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
New York Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar left Monday night’s game after taking a fastball directly to his face.
There’s been an uncanny hit-by-pitch epidemic in baseball this year, and one of the scariest incidents took place on Monday night in Atlanta.
New York Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar was struck in the face by a Jacob Webb fastball, sending him to the ground with blood gushing from his nose. Somehow, Pillar was able to walk back to the New York clubhouse after only briefly being down in the dirt, but that didn’t make the incident any less terrifying to watch.
Warning: Pillar took the pitch right to his nose, so there’s a lot of blood and the video is pretty gross. Skip over it and don’t hit play if you don’t want to see the impact.
There’s a line in Reservoir Dogs where Mr. White says that hitting someone in the nose will not only break it but will cause a terrifying and bloody scene. That’s exactly what happened to Pillar, as taking a fastball off his nose no doubt broke it but also caused his nose to pour blood.
Braves players in the field reacted immediately. Jacob Webb was visibly upset on the mound as the Mets medical staff rushed out to Pillar in the batter’s box.
Watching Pillar walk off the field under his own power after taking a fastball to his face was incredible and a very positive sign that the injury looked a lot worse than it actually is.
But his head still absorbed the energy of a 94 MPH pitch. If all he suffered was facial lacerations and a broken nose, Pillar can consider himself extremely lucky.