Athletics right-hander Chris Bassitt was struck below his right eye by a line drive and suffered a fractured cheek in Tuesday night’s game against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Bassitt was struck by a 100.1-mph drive off the bat of Sox center fielder Brian Goodwin in the second inning. He fell to his knees with his face down on the pitcher’s mound, not moving from that position for several moments before standing up with help from team trainers and the medical staff while holding a bloodied towel to his face. He was taken from the field on an emergency medical cart.
The Athletics said Bassitt was released from Rush University Medical Center Tuesday night. He received stitches for two facial cuts and was diagnosed with a displaced tripod fracture in his right cheek. His vision is normal and a head CT scan revealed no further injury.
“We are grateful to the White Sox, their medical staff and the doctors and nurses at Rush for their excellent care,” the A’s said in a statement.
Bassitt, an All-Star, Cy Young contender and the A’s ace, is 12-4 with a 3.22 ERA after taking the loss in the Sox’ 9-0 victory.
Goodwin’s hit went for a single. Players from both teams were shaken as a hush came over the crowd of 21,025 while Bassitt received attention. Goodwin walked to the Sox’ dugout and was consoled by teammates while A’s relief pitcher Burch Smith took his warmup pitches.
“I’m trying to think if there’s anything scarier than that,” manager Tony La Russa said after the game. “He’s the No. 1 concern. I certainly hope that he caught a break and he’s OK.
“Both teams’ concern for Chris made the game’s importance a distant second.”
A 16th-round draft pick by the Sox in 2011, Bassitt was traded to the A’s in 2014 after he went 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA in six games, including five starts in his rookie season with the Sox.
Goodwin’s single loaded the bases, and the Sox scored five runs in the inning on Andrew Vaughn’s two-run single and Jake Lamb’s three-run homer against Smith.
Grandal steps up rehab assignment
Catcher Yasmani Grandal’s injury rehab assignment was transferred from Double-A Birmingham to Triple-A Charlotte. La Russa gave no indication how many games Grandal, who had knee surgery July 7, will need before rejoining the team.
“Because of the catching position and all the different things you have to do as a catcher, plus the hitting, it’s a different evaluation and he’s got more to show,” La Russa said.
This and that
Right-hander Evan Marshall (strained flexor pronator) threw all of his pitches in a 25-pitch bullpen Monday and is getting closer to a minor-league rehab assignment. Marshall touched 90 mph in each of his last two bullpens.
• Luis Robert, eight days removed from coming off the injured list, had a planned day off and likely will play the last games of the series Wednesday and Thursday, La Russa said.
• The Sox lead the majors with 71 home runs since June 30. Jose Abreu notched his sixth season of 25-plus home runs, the third-most in Sox history. Paul Konerko and Frank Thomas share the franchise record with 10.
• Reynaldo Lopez is 1-0 with an 0.82 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 11 innings over three starts. He extended his scoreless-innings streak against the A’s to 14. “I have the confidence to throw any pitch in any count,” Lopez said.
