Scary scene at Reds Spring Training

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Aroldis Chapman was struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of Salvador Perez on Wednesday night.[/caption]

A game that is meant to be enjoyed turned frightening on Wednesday night when Reds closer Aroldis Chapman was struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of Royals catcher Salvador Perez at Surprise Stadium.

The incident occurred in the bottom of the sixth inning, and after about a 10-minute delay Chapman was rolled onto a stretcher and carted off the field. The umpires and coaches decided it was best to call the game after the unfortunate incident.

“You just can’t find it in your heart to go out there and play,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “Baseball is a game to be played with a lot of joy in your heart and determination and focus. I don’t think anybody was able to do that after that moment.”

The ball struck Chapman just above the left eye and ricocheted toward the third base dugout. Chapman dropped to the ground and was immediately surrounded by medical staff, players, coaches and even his father who was in attendance. He never lost consciousness and was taken to Banner Del E. Webb Medical Center in Sun City where initial tests indicated a fracture above his left eye and nose. Chapman was later transferred to Banner Medical Center where he was kept overnight and is scheduled to undergo further tests this morning.

Prior to the scary scene, the Royals took a 5–3 lead into the bottom half of the sixth inning and Perez stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. Chapman came into the game to start the inning and issued four walks intervened by a ground-ball double play. When Perez entered the box, Chapman reared back, just as he does with every pitch, and fired a 99 MPH fastball right down the middle. That’s where it all turned ugly.

“The fun goes out of it all,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “It’s just not a productive atmosphere to continue game. We all play this game but nobody wants to see anybody get hurt ever, and when something like that happens, it’s a feeling that affects both teams.”

Peres was credited with an RBI single on the final play and the game went into the books as a 6–3 Royals win.

Billy Hamilton started the game off with a bang when he sent Jeremy Guthrie’s 0–2 pitch into the right-field bullpen for his first home run of the spring. Skip Schumaker followed with a double and advanced to third on Todd Frazier’s looping single. Schumaker later scored when Frazier was caught in a rundown between first and second base after Jay Bruce’s strikeout. The Royals neglected Schumaker at third base, and he scampered home to score.

However, the Royals took the lead when they touched up Reds starter Alfredo Simon for three runs (one earned) in the bottom of the second inning. Mike Moustakas drove in Perez on a RBI double to center field to put Kansas City on the board — Moustakas is tied for the Spring Training lead with 16 RBI. Lorenzo Cain later reached base on Zack Cozart’s error. He proceeded to steal second base and score on Norichika Aoki’s two-run single.

Simon struggled for the second time this spring and pitched five innings, allowing eight hits and five runs (three earned) to go along with three walks and three strikeouts. The big right-hander is now 1–2 with a 4.42 ERA in five starts this spring.

Opposite Simon, Guthrie allowed five hits and three runs to go along with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of work.

Chapman’s injury will undoubtedly not only rattle the Reds organization mentally, but also shake up the projected bullpen with only 11 days remaining between now and Opening Day.

The Reds will return to Goodyear to play host to the Texas Rangers at 4:05 p.m. ET on Thursday. Johnny Cueto, who appears to have the best chance of pitching Opening Day with all of the other occurrences among the pitching staff, will take the mound for the Reds and face Rangers lefty Robbie Ross.

The rest of the Reds lineup will look like this:

1. Billy Hamilton — CF
2. Brandon Phillips — 2B
3. Joey Votto — 1B
4. Ryan Ludwick — DH
5. Jay Bruce — RF
6. Chris Heisey — LF
7. Brayan Pena — C
8. Chris Nelson — 3B
9. Ramon Santiago — SS