\n\n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”thumbnail_url”:null,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”rich”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”It was the second time this month that a Baltimore hitter was hit in the head at Camden Yards, leading to a scary moment. Rookie outfielder Heston Kjerstad was drilled in a July 12 game against the Yankees, which resulted in him being placed on the seven-day injured list with a concussion the next day.\n\nIt’s always a scary situation — and even more so when you’re the one writhing in pain.\n\n”I think at first it’s more scary than anything. It’s like taking a pretty good punch, a pretty good right hook, I guess,” McCann said. “Now it’s just the swelling that’s set in and is a little hard to see. But other than that. …””,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”OEmbed”,”html”:”
#Orioles Receiver James McCann said it’s never fun to see someone get hit in the head or face.
“That this is happening to you is disgusting. … I take great pride in being tough.” pic.twitter.com/iFn4www3FT
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) July 29, 2024
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July 29, 2024
BALTIMORE — James McCann took a 94.6 mph fastball to the face, suffered a potentially broken nose, bled all over the field and his jersey, had his left eye swollen shut making it difficult to see, and then played eight extra innings of baseball as a catcher, the most physically demanding position in the sport.
“I take great pride in being tough,” McCann said later.
There are clearly few professional athletes tougher than the Orioles’ 34-year-old backup catcher.
McCann was drilled by Blue Jays starter Yariel Rodriguez in the first inning of Baltimore’s 11-5 victory in the first game of a doubleheader at Camden Yards on Monday before receiving a lengthy visit from head athletic trainer Brian Ebel, who worked to stop McCann’s nosebleed.
“To get hit like that, to see the blood coming out of his nose and mouth and not stopping,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He seemed fine, just visibly dizzy and the blood wouldn’t stop. It was definitely a scary scene. He’s incredibly, incredibly resilient.”
It certainly looked like McCann was going to have to leave the game, but he took first base after a bases-loaded hit that extended Baltimore’s lead to 4-0.
It then looked as if McCann was going to leave, as he left the field for the dugout. But, in the end, McCann only left so he could put on a jersey that didn’t have blood on it. He then reappeared to a thunderous ovation, taking his base with cotton gauze stuffed up both nostrils (which remained there for the rest of the day).
McCann, who is scheduled to undergo a CT scan to see if his nose is broken and also needs to see the team’s ear, nose and throat specialist, drew cheers again before the second inning when he crouched behind home plate to keep catching right-hander Zach Eflin in his Orioles debut.
“I’m just really grateful that James is okay,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “That’s life, he’s a father and a husband. You hate to see that. I can’t believe he’s still in the game. I think everybody in the league probably respects him more than they did before. I’m glad he’s okay. It’s unbelievable what he’s done.”
“Honestly, before we even talk about that outing, what a leader James McCann is,” Eflin said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that on a baseball field. I’ve probably become his number one fan. To be able to go through that and stay in the game and show the grit and determination and competitive spirit that he has, it’s inspiring. It was awesome.”
McCann has had some sticky situations in the past while in the batter’s box. Last year, in his first season with the O’s, he had numerous occasions where he nearly got hit in the face, but each time he put a piece of his bat on the ball to prevent it from happening.
It was the second time this month that a Baltimore batter was hit in the head at Camden Yards, leading to a scary moment. Rookie outfielder Heston Kjerstad was injured in a July 12 game against the Yankees, which resulted in him being placed on the seven-day concussion injured list the next day.
It’s always a scary situation, and even more so when you’re the one writhing in pain.
“I think at first it’s more scary than anything. It’s like taking a good punch, a good right hook, I guess,” McCann said. “Now it’s just the swelling that’s set in and it’s a little hard to see. But other than that…”
With a doubleheader on Monday, Adley Rutschman would have had to sit out nearly two full games if McCann hadn’t been up to par. As Hyde recalled, McCann played through a sprained left ankle in a game at Wrigley Field last season so the Orioles could keep Rutschman as the designated hitter and not force a pitcher to hit.
According to McCann, however, the doubleheader had little to do with why he continued to play.
“I feel like I would have done my best, even in one game,” McCann said. “Like I said, I pride myself on being tough and fighting through things, and today was no exception.”