CLEVELAND — In the middle of a tense division race, Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal accompanied Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt to check on an injured opponent.
Skubal visited David Fry in the hospital late Tuesday night, hours after his fastball struck Fry in the face during a bunt attempt.
It was a striking show of solidarity among players and across teams in the middle of a heated series between two rivals.
Fry was struck by a Skubal fastball in the sixth inning Tuesday night as he squared up for a surprise bunt. He fell to the dirt and covered his bloody face with his hands before being carted off the field. He was taken to a local hospital, then transferred to the Cleveland Clinic, where he remained overnight.
On Wednesday, the Guardians announced that Fry had been diagnosed with “multiple, minimally displaced, left-sided facial and nasal fractures” but is not expected to need surgery. He was discharged from the Cleveland Clinic and is “resting comfortably,” the team said.
Skubal was visibly shaken, dropping his glove in distress and pacing away from the mound after Fry was hit.
“I haven’t really watched (a replay),” Skubal said. “I got to see it live, and I don’t want to keep watching that.”
Skubal said he wanted to convey his best wishes for a recovery and also apologize, although no one has suggested he was at fault.
After Skubal first reached out by text to Fry, Vogt offered to accompany him to visit Fry in the hospital.
“That was pretty cool,” Skubal said. “I’ve got a ton of respect for (Vogt), but also for the way they play baseball and the team they are. That kind of speaks volumes about who they are over there and the guys they’ve got.”
Skubal said he didn’t know Fry well before the incident, although they had met at the All-Star Game in 2024.
“From what I’ve heard across the way, he’s kind of a leader in that clubhouse, a guy everyone roots for. If you look at his story, not a high pick, grinded his way up, was an All-Star in his second season in the big leagues,” Skubal said. “His story’s pretty cool. Unfortunately, through this circumstance, I’ll probably get to know him a little bit better, which might be a positive to bring out of this.”
Fry’s season is over, and the tense series continues on Wednesday, but the moment was a reminder of baseball’s humanity.
“Players take care of players and care about players, and they should,” said Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. “Tarik cares about people first. The competition’s super important to everybody, but it does stop in a moment when a guy is hurt like that. That’s very important, for players to take care of players and to be people, despite wearing different uniforms.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Source link
