Giancarlo Stanton hit, suffers multiple fractures, dental damage
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton suffered multiple facial fractures, dental damage and cuts that needed stitches after being hit in the face by a pitch Thursday night.
Marlins manager Mike Redmond said he expected Stanton, the major league RBI leader and a top candidate for the NL MVP award, was finished for the season.
"It's devastating for us. Devastating. For his season to end like that, I mean, that's not good," Redmond said.
Redmond said Stanton did not lose consciousness. Stanton did not say anything while down on the ground, Redmond said.
"It was very, scary," Redmond said. "We're hoping he is going to be all right."
The team said Stanton would return to Miami on Friday.
Stanton was hit under the left eye by a fastball from Milwaukee's Mike Fiers in the fifth inning of a 4-2 loss. Stanton was driven off the field in an ambulance.
Stanton's father was at the game and came on the field while his son was treated, and left with him in the ambulance.
The All-Star outfielder tops the NL with 37 home runs and has 105 RBIs, and is batting .288. Miami has 17 games left this year.
It was ruled that Stanton swung trying to get out of the way of the 88 mph pitch from Fiers. Reed Johnson batted for Stanton and was hit in the hand by Fiers' next pitch, triggering a bench-clearing brawl.
Miami's Casey McGehee and Redmond were ejected.
It was also ruled that Johnson swung at the pitch that hit him, ending the inning with two runners on base.
Redmond was upset with the strike calls.
"I've never seen anything like that and I've definitely never seen two swings called on those two plays," Redmond said. "I've never seen a guy get hit in the mouth and called for a swing. He's out there bleeding at home plate and for the first base ump to say he swung at that pitch, what a joke."
Plate umpire Jeff Kellogg said he consulted with first base umpire D.J. Reyburn and determined that both Stanton and Johnson had swung.
"We've both looked at it and, yes, he did swing. They both did, at those pitches," Kellogg said.
Redmond and Johnson said the benches cleared because of the reaction by Fiers after Johnson get hit. Fiers threw up his hands and looked into the Marlins' dugout.
"He just knocked out our best player, hit him in the mouth and then you just hit another guy in the hand," Redmond said. "What are we supposed to do? No doubt, we're trying to win games, they're trying to win games, but you just hit a guy in the mouth."
Fiers said he didn't want to get into what happened after Johnson was hit.
"It was heat of the moment stuff," Fiers said. "I just want to make sure that Stanton is OK. I just want to send my thoughts and prayers and everything to Stanton.
"You never think of throwing at somebody like that. Never in my life has that happened. I just feel very, very sad that I hit him. I'm sorry to their teammates, their fans, his family. It is just tough."
