TAMPA BAY RAYS star Hunter Bigge was rushed to hospital after a horrible accident.
The incident took place during Thursday’s MLB clash between the Rays and Baltimore Orioles at the George M. Steinbrenner Field.
Bigge, 27, was hit by the ball travelling at 105mph while in the dugout in Florida leaving fans and players in distress.
The pitcher was struck on the side of the face when Orioles ace Adley Rutschman accidentally hit the ball into the home dugout.
The California native was not playing as he recovers from a muscle strain.
Emergency medical staff immediately rushed to treat Bigge, who was placed in a neck brace and taken away on a stretcher to be transferred to a hospital for assessment.
The game was halted for about 10 minutes but the baseball star gave a thumbs-up to the crowd as he was carried away.
Rays head coach Kevin Cash confirmed Bigge remained conscious throughout the ordeal and was talking to the medical staff while receiving treatment.
Cash added: “Certainly you feel for Hunter and his wife. I can’t imagine what she and he were going through.
“Scary for everybody, none more than them.”
Orioles interim head coach Tony Mansolino claims that freak accident highlights the risk baseball players and coaching staff face at every game.
Mansolino said: “It’s really scary. It’s terrifying. I mean, we all sit in these dugouts every night and in a lot of ways you kind of feel like sitting ducks.”
Rutschman echoed his coach’s words as he was left shocked after the “scary” incident.
Rutschman added: “It’s really, really scary. I haven’t really been a part of something like that. You never want to see that.”
