Orioles catcher James McCann was hit in the face by a fastball during the Monday, July 29, game between Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays.
During the first inning, Blue Jays rookie Yariel Rodriguez pitched a 95 miles per hour fastball directly at the Orioles backup catcher’s head. The fastball knocked off McCann’s helmet and clipped his face. McCann, 34, immediately dropped to the ground and clenched his nose. He was examined at the plate by head athletic trainer Brian Ebel.
McCann was still bleeding as he headed to first base but was sent to the dugout by team manager Brandon Hyde for further treatment. While McCann was being treated, Toronto manager John Schneider removed Rodriguez from the game.
Due to the accident, a brief delay occurred, allowing McCann to receive treatment and Toronto pitcher Brandon Eisert to warm up. However, once the game was ready to resume, McCann stopped bleeding and returned to the field as a runner at first base.
Later in the game, McCann received a standing ovation once he went to bat with two outs in the third inning.
Mitchell Layton/Getty
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
Team manager Hyde confirmed that McCann did not have head trauma or an eye injury, per ESPN. Although Hyde said, he is “suspecting [McCann] has a broken nose.”
“All signs right now are he dodged a major bullet,” he said.
“That was a scary scene. It just shows you how tough that guy is,” Hyde added. “He was obviously dazed and the blood wasn’t stopping.”
AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough
Following the game, in which the Orioles were victorious with an 11-5 win over Toronto, McCann spoke to The Baltimore Banner, and candidly said the whole event “stinks.”
“I take a lot of pride in being tough,” he said. “And I do everything I can to stay on the field, and that’s what I was able to do today.”
The MLB veteran said the experience “at first it was more scary than anything.” He continued, “It’s like taking a pretty good punch with a good right hook I guess. Now that the swelling has set in, it’s hard to see a little bit.” Adding, “It’s really tough to see.”
“If I could get the blood to stop flowing, I could stay in the game. And that’s what we were able to do for the most part,” he concluded.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I would go to war every single day for James McCann. But after seeing that, I am convinced that I would [be] absolutely useless to him,” Orioles pitcher Tyler Wells wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). “That’s the toughest SOB I’ve ever met.”
