The Guardians announced Wednesday that designated hitter David Fry, who was hit in the face by a 99 mph fastball from Tarik Skubal last night, will not require surgery. He’ll still be out six to eight weeks, but the 29-year-old has thankfully avoided any catastrophic injuries. The team’s statement reads as follows:
“Imaging and clinical examination have confirmed that David Fry sustained multiple, minimally displaced, left-sided facial and nasal fractures. While the injury will require close monitoring, including serial assessments, David is expected to fully recover over the next 6-8 weeks without the need for surgery. David was recently discharged from the Cleveland Clinic and is resting comfortably.
The Cleveland Guardians would like to express gratitude to several groups who were intimately involved in the emergent care and treatment of David during last night’s game: Physician’s Ambulance, caregivers at Lutheran Hospital and Cleveland Clinic emergency departments, and the nurses and physicians at CCF working in the ENT and plastic surgery departments. Thank you all for your professionalism, expertise, and compassion.”
Fry came to the plate with runners on the corners and no outs against Skubal in the bottom of the sixth. Attempting to bunt on a 2-1 pitch, Fry was unable to avoid that blistering heater and immediately dropped to his back with his hands covering his face. Skubal was visibly distraught after throwing the pitch. Fry was eventually helped to his feet and carted off the field.
That frightening scene overshadowed what has become an unexpectedly heated race for an AL Central division that looked to be a foregone conclusion not long ago. Cleveland went on to win the game, though the thoughts of everyone on the club were surely with their teammate even as they drew to a first-place tie with the Tigers. Not only has Cleveland incredibly won 17 of its past 20 games — they’ve done so as Detroit has dropped seven in a row and 10 of its past 11 contests. What was a 9.5-game division lead as recently as Sept. 10 has completely gone up in smoke.
The bigger takeaway, of course, is that Fry won’t need surgery and somehow managed to avoid a calamitous injury despite the impact of that pitch. The injury will still end what has been a frustrating season for the late-blooming slugger. After breaking out with a .263/.356/.448 slash and 14 homers in 392 plate appearances as a 28-year-old in just his second big league season last year, Fry underwent offseason elbow surgery that kept him shelved into early June.
Cleveland controls Fry through the 2029 season, and he’ll be arbitration-eligible as a Super Two player for the first time this winter. For the time being, Fry has obviously been placed on the 10-day injured list. Outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to take his spot on the active roster.