Yankee Stadium responds to President Trump before Detroit Tigers game
Yankee Stadium responds to President Trump ahead of Detroit Tigers game, 9/11 tribute in New York on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.
MIAMI − Detroit Tigers All-Star Javier Báez looked like he had been in a Rocky movie. On the losing end. He had a nasty shiner — his left eye was swollen and discolored after fouling a ball off his forehead.
“It’s getting purple now but it’s good,” Báez said.
He broke into a smile while talking about it, and that tells you everything you need to know.
“Javy is doing very well,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said on Saturday, Sept.13. “It looks, obviously, like it hurts but he’s reporting that he’s doing fine.”
While playing against the Miami Marlins, Báez fouled a ball off his face while swinging at a changeup Friday, Sept.12.
“That pitch was kind of into me,” Báez said. “I thought it was going to be a slider, and I think it was a changeup. I honestly saw the ball all the way into my eye.”
The ball hit his forehead − “right between the eyebrows,” he said − and popped off his helmet. He collapsed and felt his face. At first, he thought that he was bleeding but it turned out to be sweat and tears from the impact. He was pulled from the game.
“Feeling good,” Báez said Saturday. “I slept good (Friday) night, and when I woke up, that’s when I started getting swollen. So getting treatment now, a little massage.”
He did not suffer a concussion and his vision is fine.
“I think I’m gonna do everything normal today, practice inside and see how it goes,” Báez said. “I think I’m gonna get another massage to get it down.”
Báez was not in the starting lineup for Saturday’s game in Miami but he is considered available, assuming he gets through pregame warmups.
“I’m good to go if they need me,” Báez said. “But I’m pretty sure I’m going to be one of the last options today. Hopefully, this purple thing goes away.”
The Tigers were planning on giving Parker Meadows a day off Saturday, but those plans changed.
“I joked with Parker saying I gave him half a game off in New York, which counts as an off day,” Hinch said. “He barely played, even though he was on base a couple times. But he’s feeling great.”
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.