With bases loaded and two outs on the board in the bottom of the first inning, the Orioles led the Blue Jays 4-0 with James McCann up to bat. Facing off against Yariel Rodríguez, McCann battled to a 2-2 count before disaster struck.
On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Rodríguez fired a 94.6-mph, up-and-in fastball that hit McCann right on the nose. Immediately dropping to the ground and holding his face, it became apparent that McCann was bleeding profusely, even spitting out blood.
Rodríguez was pulled by Blue Jays' manager John Schneider, and McCann managed to shuffle to first base, albeit with gauze stuck up his nose, still bleeding. Ultimately, he returned behind the plate to continue catching.
Here's the play where McCann got injured and an overview of his year up until this point.
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James McCann hit-by-pitch injury video
After being hit by the pitch and cleaning up more during the pitching change, McCann returned to the game for good. Here's the pitch that nailed him right in the face and caused a significant amount of blood. If you're squeamish, you might want to avoid this one.
James McCann is a legend for this. pic.twitter.com/C6FBFVqF9a
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 29, 2024
McCann grounded out in the third inning but singled in the fifth, eventually scoring on an Anthony Santander homer. He flew out in the eighth before returning to the dugout as the Orioles took home an 11-4 win.
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James McCann stats
2024 stats
| Games | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 43 | 139 | 18 | 30 | 3 | 18 | 9 | 34 | .216 | .267 | .324 | .590 |