“There are bigger things than the game” - Tarik Skubal visits David Fry in hospital following multiple fractures from 99mph fastball

Cleveland Guardians designated hitter David Fry took a nasty 99mph fastball from Tarik Skubal to his face after a bunt attempt went horribly wrong in Tuesday's game against the Detroit Tigers.

Fry was struck in the face in the sixth inning and fell to the ground immediately. Skubal had his hands on his face with several players visibly concerned after the hit.

The Guardians slugger was taken to a hospital after the game. Skubal, who was concerned about the slugger's status hitched a ride with Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to visit Fry.

The reigning AL Cy Young winner revealed he had reached out to Fry and hoped for his quick recovery.

"I’ve already reached out to him," Skubal said. "I’m sure his phone’s blowing up. I just want to make sure he’s all right. He seemed okay coming off the field, and hopefully it stays that way.

"I look forward to, hopefully tonight or tomorrow morning, getting a text from him and making sure he’s all good. There are things that are bigger than the game, and his health is more important than a baseball game."

Fry has reportedly sustained multiple facial and nasal fractures. However, he won't require surgery and is expected to recover in 6-8 weeks.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash