DETROIT – Jose Miranda lay prone in the batter’s box, barely moving, as Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and athletic trainer Nick Paparesta rushed to his side.
“It’s really frightening to see that,” Baldelli remarked about Miranda, who was struck just below his left ear by a 95-mph fastball from Detroit’s Alex Faedo in the first inning on Sunday. “He was hit squarely. It wasn’t a glancing blow; it was a significant impact.”
The force of the hit sent Miranda’s helmet flying 20 feet away and left the Twins’ third baseman on the ground for several minutes before he managed to get up and walk off the field slowly with Paparesta’s assistance.
Despite the severity of the incident, Miranda seemed to have fared remarkably well, enjoying a chicken dinner in the visitors’ clubhouse after the Twins’ 5-0 victory.
“Initial tests show no signs of a concussion,” Baldelli noted. “However, we’ll need to monitor him closely over the next 24 hours. Such impacts can still have effects on various parts of the body and upper extremities. Overall, we may have dodged something very serious. We’ll take it and keep a close watch.”
This incident marks the fifth time Miranda has been hit by a pitch this season, contributing to the Twins’ total of 74 hit-by-pitches, the highest in the major leagues. Cleveland is second with 65.
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