Oakland A’s starter Chris Bassitt was hit by a Brian Goodwin comebacker in the second inning of Tuesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox. Bassitt was removed from the game on a cart, but fell to the ground and was bleeding.
“Chris Bassitt is conscious and aware, and is on his way to the hospital,” the A’s said in a statement.
Goodwin’s ball was hit with a 100mph exit velocity.
On replay, Bassitt appeared to get hit near his right eye or on the side of his head. after holding a towel to the side of his head for a few minutes, the 32-year-old got up on his own power and was carted off with A’s trainers and medical staff.
The A’s are playing the second of a four-game series against the White Sox, the team that drafted Bassitt in the 16th round of the 2011 MLB Draft.
Burch Smith took over for Bassitt on the mound with the bases loaded and gave up a two-run hit to Andrew Vaughn and a three-run home run to Jake Lamb.
Bassitt’s injury occurred almost exactly 40 years after another A’s pitcher was felled by a vicious line drive to the face by a White Sox batter.
In 1981, Chicago’s Harold Baines smashed a line drive that broke A’s reliever Bo McLaughlin’s left cheekbone and his eye socket in five different places during a game at he Coliseum. Ironically, current White Sox manager Tony La Russa was also Chicago’s skipper 40 years ago when Oakland’s McLaughlin was hospitalized after getting hit in the face.
