Major League Baseball

Rangers' Kinsler gets stitches after collision

Published Jun. 19, 2013 9:33 a.m. ET

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Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler needed three stitches and had blood on his jersey after a vicious collision at home plate in Tuesday night's game against Oakland.

Kinsler was cut near the left side of his jaw after his face slammed into the mask of catcher John Jaso while sliding feet-first to score in the third inning. Jaso was unable to hold on to the ball after the jarring collision that jerked Kinsler's head backward.

The start of the fourth inning was delayed for several minutes while Kinsler got stitches. The Rangers said team physician Dr. Keith Meister also screened Kinsler for any concussion symptoms.

When Kinsler finally took the field to start the fourth, he had a bandage on his face and there were several spots of blood on the front of his jersey.

The blood-stained jersey conjured up the memory of Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan when he was hit on the mouth by a Bo Jackson comebacker on Sept. 8, 1990, and kept pitching with blood dripping onto his jersey. Ryan, now the Rangers' CEO, was sitting in the front row near the Texas dugout on Tuesday night.

Kinsler was on second base when A.J. Pierzynski singled to center. Kinsler had to hold up momentarily to make sure the ball dropped before running and then was waved home by third base coach Gary Pettis.

After the collision, Kinsler reached over with his foot to touch the plate, picked up his helmet and got up to go back to the dugout. Home plate umpire Paul Nauert appeared to tell Kinsler about the cut, and rookie teammate Jurickson Profar cringed when he saw it.

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