TAMPA, Fla. (AP) \u2014 Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was carted off the field in a frightening scene and taken to a hospital after getting struck in the face by a foul ball lined into the Tampa Bay dugout Thursday night.<\/p>\n
Bigge was placed on a backboard and gave a thumbs up before being driven by ambulance to a nearby hospital for tests. He never lost consciousness and was able to converse with first responders, Rays manager Kevin Cash said.<\/p>\n
In the top of the seventh inning, Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman sharply pulled a pitch into the Tampa Bay dugout on the first base side and the ball hit Bigge, a 27-year-old right-hander currently on the injured list.<\/p>\n
Emergency medical personnel quickly arrived to attend to Bigge. After several quiet minutes, as visibly concerned Rays players knelt in the field, Bigge was loaded onto a stretcher and carted off.<\/p>\n
After the game, Cash said Bigge was struck in the face. The ball left Rutschman\u2019s bat at 105 mph, according to Statcast.<\/p>\n
Bigge, on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain, received a standing ovation from the Steinbrenner Field crowd as he was loaded onto a cart. The game resumed after an eight-minute delay, and Baltimore held on for a 4-1 victory.<\/a><\/p>\n Bigge was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 12th round of the 2019 amateur draft from Harvard and made his major league debut for them on July 9 last year. He was traded 19 days later to Tampa Bay along with Christopher Morel and minor leaguer Ty Johnson for All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes.<\/p>\n In 32 career appearances, including one start, Bigge has a 2.51 ERA and one save. This season, he has a 2.40 ERA in 13 relief outings covering 15 innings. <\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n