Nats' Paul DeJong relieved his vision wasn't affected by pitch to face that broke multiple bones

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nationals third baseman Paul DeJong said Friday he was relieved that his vision wasn't affected when he suffered a broken nose, orbital and orbital floor from a pitch that hit him in the face last month.

DeJong had surgery to repair the fractures and has been cleared for non-baseball activities. The nine-year veteran is hoping to be back in Washington's lineup before the All-Star break.

The 31-year-old was hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh's Mitch Keller on April 15.

“That was amazing for me to not have too much of a vision problem,” DeJong said before Washington began a three-game series against St. Louis. “Having the surgery go well also, I mean, I trusted the surgeon and I knew my nose was going to be fixable. It was more just making sure my vision was OK because of how important that is for this sport. So, I’m thankful that things could have been a lot worse.”

DeJong, who signed with the Nationals as a free agent in February, can do exercises like biking and air squats but has not yet been cleared to lift weights. He spoke about what it might feel like to face live pitching again after his ordeal.

“I think it’s different than any injury that I have ever had, so it’s hard for me to say how it’s going to feel,” DeJong said. “It’s going to take some trust but I think the physical moment with the C-flap (on the batting helmet) will give me some confidence staying in there fearlessly and take my at-bat like I always would.”

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