TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was carted off the field in a frightening scene Thursday night after he was struck by a foul ball in the dugout.
In the top of the seventh inning, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman fouled a pitch into the Rays dugout and it hit Bigge, a 27-year-old right-hander currently on the injured list.
Emergency medical personnel quickly arrived to attend to Bigge. After several quiet minutes as Rays players knelt in the field, Bigge was placed on a backboard and carted off.
Bigge, on the IL with a lat strain, gave a thumbs-up gesture as the Steinbrenner Field crowd rose for a standing ovation. The game resumed after an eight-minute delay with Baltimore leading 4-1.
The Chicago Cubs selected Bigge in the 12th round of the 2019 draft from Harvard, and he made his major-league debut for them on July 9, 2024. He was traded 19 days later to the Rays along with Christopher Morel and minor-leaguer Ty Johnson for All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes.
Bigge has a 2.51 ERA and one save in 32 career appearances, including one start. This season he has a 2.40 ERA in 13 relief outings covering 15 innings.
Originally Published: June 19, 2025 at 11:10 PM CDT