TAMPA — The Rays continued to obtain excellent news on Friday concerning reliever Hunter Bigge, who was struck within the face by a 105.1 mph foul ball whereas sitting within the dugout throughout Thursday night time’s 4-1 loss to the Orioles at George M. Steinbrenner Subject.
Supervisor Kevin Money stated he visited with Bigge within the hospital on Friday. Bigge’s spouse, Casey, was there, and his dad and mom flew to Tampa from San Francisco on Thursday night time to be with their son.
“Attending to see Hunter and discuss to him, he was in good spirits,” Money stated. “Not a ton of knowledge aside from that, however for me, personally, witnessing and watching what passed off yesterday, to see how he was at the moment and with the ability to work together, we’re heading in a extremely good route.”
The preliminary replace on Thursday night time was constructive, as Bigge didn’t lose consciousness, was not hit within the eye and was conversational, even cracking jokes. The 27-year-old right-hander, at present on the injured record recovering from a lat pressure, flashed a thumbs-up signal as he was carted off the sphere on a stretcher.
Money stated the membership anticipated to study extra info later Friday. Bigge’s well-being was nonetheless prime of thoughts for the Rays as they reported to Steinbrenner Subject on Friday afternoon to start a weekend sequence towards the Tigers.
“All I do know is it has been excellent news, and it is about pretty much as good because it could possibly be,” starter Ryan Pepiot stated. “We’re simply hoping that every thing goes easily with him and he can get out of there as quickly as potential and get again to spending time with us.”
Pepiot stated he was sitting close by through the seventh inning Thursday night time, engaged in a lighthearted dialog with Bigge and rehabbing reliever Alex Faedo about sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds, when Adley Rutschman’s foul liner ripped towards the house dugout on the first-base facet of the ballpark.
“You see the ball coming at you, and all of us ducked. You would hear the contact it made after which see him fall backwards,” Pepiot stated. “I imply, truthfully, like, I nearly threw up. I am not good with blood or something like that. However simply seeing that, identical to how shut it was, it was one of many scariest issues I’ve ever seen.
“Simply form of actually put some perspective, like, it is greater than the sport. He was speaking a pair seconds later. He is like, ‘I am OK, proper? I am OK?’ You don’t have any concept. Sport did not matter after that time. We might have [come] again and gained, but it surely would not matter.”
A Harvard-educated hard-thrower who joined the Rays in a July 2024 commerce with the Cubs, Bigge is extremely regarded by his teammates as a very good individual and a fierce competitor. Seeing him injured like that prompted most of Tampa Bay’s gamers and employees to spend the remainder of Thursday’s sport behind the protecting netting within the dugout relatively than sitting towards the railing.
“After that, instantly, everybody was down beneath. There may need been one person who caught their head up, however you are most likely going to see that for a little bit bit,” Pepiot stated. “I might assume we will be hiding a little bit bit extra. I simply don’t need something like that to occur ever once more, so I might assume most individuals are gonna be hiding.”
It was not the primary such incident this season. Rehabbing starter Shane McClanahan took a Kyle Schwarber foul ball off his left arm final month, though he was in the end unhurt, and one other foul ball left assistant hitting coach Brady North with a bruised, swollen eye.
It’s unlikely they will elevate the dugout display, and gamers will nonetheless wish to sit near the sphere to allow them to see the sport and assist their teammates.
“You simply form of assume it simply is not gonna occur, or if it does are available, it is simply going to overlook everyone. However then after one thing like that, I believe we’re undoubtedly going to see some folks ducking and staying beneath,” Pepiot stated. “You wish to be on the market to assist them. So it might look a little bit totally different. We is likely to be all hiding beneath, however as soon as the blokes get some hits, you are gonna see us pop up.”
Money stated Friday afternoon that he deliberate to talk to some gamers and brainstorm potential changes within the dugout, though it was clearly not the Rays’ main focus as they awaited additional phrase on Bigge’s standing.
“We’ll make no matter we are able to do as comfy as potential,” Money stated. “However proper now, I believe we’re all prioritizing simply Hunter’s well-being and getting him again and watching video games once more.”
