Royals pitcher Ryan Yarbrough out with head fractures after being hit in face
The Kansas City Royals placed pitcher Ryan Yarbrough on 15-day injured reserve for head fractures, the team announced via Twitter on Monday. He was hurt after being hit by a line drive in Sunday's game against the Oakland Athletics.
"We're happy to share that Ryan is stable and improving and never lost consciousness," the Royals said in a statement. "He sustained multiple non-displaced fractures, and we do not believe he will need surgery. Ryan is undergoing more testing today, and we will share his progress as we can."
Yarbrough was hit in the face by a line drive during the sixth inning. With a 3-2 count, he tossed a pitch to Ryan Noda, who smacked the ball straight into Yarbrough's head with a 106 mph hit.
Yarbrough flinched as the ball approached him and then when it made contact, he fell to his knees on the mound. Catcher Salvador Perez grabbed the ball as it rolled back toward home plate and tossed it to Nick Pratto at first base to get Noda out.
(Warning: Sensitive content)
OPINION: Xander Bogaerts living up to hype in first season with Padres
Yarbrough was tended to by trainers and walked off the field with their help. He was taken out of the game and replaced by Carlos Hernández.
"It was scary. The dugout went silent, everybody," Royals manager Matt Quatraro said in his postgame news conference, noting Yarbrough got hit above the temple. "Your heart drops there, you get a pit in your stomach. I can't think of a worse thing to see on the field. Luckily, when we got out there, he was talking and aware of what was going on and what had happened."
Yarbrough got his first win of the season after he exited with a score of 2-1. The Royals ended up defeating the Athletics, 5-1.
In a corresponding transaction, pitcher José Cuas was recalled from the AAA Omaha Storm Chasers.