Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Rymer Liriano suffered a gruesome injury Sunday when taking a pitch to the face in an exhibition game in Phoenix against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Liriano Taken to Hospital for Further Evaluation
Sunday, March 20
Liriano was hit under the brim of his helmet and immediately went to the ground in pain. Trainers assessed his condition for an extended period at the plate before strapping him to a backboard so he could be taken to a hospital, according to the Associated Press.
SB Nation MLB shared a picture of him being carted off the field after the fateful pitch from Dodgers pitcher Matt West:
“It’s serious,” manager Craig Counsell initially said of Liriano’s injury, per Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “He got hit in the head. I can’t give you many details.”
Haudricourt later added the team reported Liriano suffered “multiple facial fractures” and will undergo further evaluation at the hospital.
“Players who saw Liriano before he was taken to the hospital said his left eye was swollen shut,” reported Haudricourt
It’s a huge blow for the 24-year-old who is trying to make the big league roster. The Brewers acquired him in a Jan. 28 trade with the San Diego Padres, and he spent all of last season in the minors after making his MLB debut in 2014.
In 131 games with San Diego’s Triple-A affiliate, Liriano hit .292.383/.460 with 14 home runs and 53 RBI.
Milwaukee is in the midst of a major rebuild, and a young player with promise such as Liriano fits the direction the Brewers are taking toward stocking young talent.
But a significant injury will throw a major wrench in his development with the team.
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