Tampa Bay Rays reliever Hunter Bigge was struck in the face by a scorching 105 mph foul ball while sitting in the dugout during the seventh inning of Thursday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles. Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman lined a pitch from Connor Seabold into the dugout area.

As soon as he was struck, coaches and teammates rushed to check on him. Medical attention was also provided, with Bigge given a neck brace and put on a stretcher, waiting for the cart to transport him off the field at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

“And just — there’s not much scarier in sports than when a foul ball goes into a crowded group. That’s one of the scariest scenes I’ve ever seen,” announcer Kevin Brown said on MASN. “It is. It’s so fast. It happens so fast down there, and there’s just no way to move.

“Joe Bench there — head trainer — was with us with the Royals for a long time. Does a terrific job and certainly is doing a great job right here, taking care of their guys. We’re not able to identify quite yet. You can see the blood on the face from the foul ball hit by Adley Rutschman,” he added.

The game was delayed for several minutes while Bigge was attended to.

Rays manager Kevin Cash provides update on Hunter Bigge

Hunter Bigge managed to flash a thumbs-up to fans as he was taken away, which means he was conscious at the time after his neck was stabilized. Bigge was then taken to a Tampa hospital for X-rays and further evaluation.

After the game ended 4-1 in favor of the Orioles, Rays manager Kevin Cash said Bigge is “coherent and at hospital undergoing numerous tests.” He also buffed the rumors and said instead of being hit on the eye, he was hit on the side face and that he never lost consciousness either.

Bigge has already been on the injured list with a lat strain since early May, though he has remained with the team and regularly attends games from the dugout. He was acquired by Tampa Bay in July 2024 as part of the trade bringing Isaac Paredes from the Chicago Cubs.