James McCann drilled with pitch to the face, stays in game despite nosebleed
Baltimore Orioles catcher James McCann found his way on base in the most painful way imaginable on Monday against the Blue Jays. Stepping up to the plate for his first at bat in the bottom of the first, he was drilled in the face with a pitch from Yariel Rodriguez.
McCann immediately fell to the ground in pain and grabbed his face. Blood was later seen pouring from his nose as members of the Orioles staff tended to him.
It took a few moments for him to regain his composure before, somehow, he managed to tough it out and stay in the game. McCann also gained a RBI for the hit by pitch as the bases were loaded and Ryan Mountcastle came through for to make it a 4-0 Baltimore lead. You can view the moment below.
Rodriguez was pulled after that play as it was the the fourth walk he allowed after he started off the game with three straight. The Blue Jays were able to get out of the inning down 4-0.
Despite taking the hit to the face, McCann was right back up to the plate on his next at bat in the third. Although he grounded out there, he would later record a single in the fifth inning and scored a run after a homer from Anthony Santander.
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Overall, James McCann is 1-for-3 at the plate on the day with the one RBI he recorded off the hit by pitch. He is batting .218 this season with 31 hits and three home runs across 45 appearances.
A former Arkansas baseball player, McCann joined the MLB in 2011 as a second-round draft pick for the Detroit Tigers. He went on to become an MLB All-Star in 2019 with the Chicago White Sox before joining the Mets in 2020 and then later Baltimore in 2023.
The Orioles are currently holding an 11-4 advantage entering the ninth inning and can secure a win with three more outs. If they do, they’ll improve their record to 63-43, good for first place in the AL East.
McCann will certainly have to battle scars to prove he played a part in the victory.