Tigers' Tarik Skubal visits Guardians' David Fry in hospital after hitting him in face with 99 mph fastball
Fry suffered facial and nasal fractures on the bunt attempt
•
1 min read
Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal visited Cleveland Guardians designated hitter David Fry at the hospital on Tuesday night, hours after Fry took a bunted ball to the face on a 99 mph fastball that left him with multiple minimally displaced facial and nasal fractures. Skubal was driven both to the hospital and to the Tigers' team hotel afterward by Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who provided an update on how Fry was doing prior to Wednesday's contest against those same Tigers.
"He's injured. He's hurting. He's in a ton of pain," Vogt said, according to The Athletic. "But as far as life goes, he's gonna be OK. Anytime with a head injury, you worry about the long-term effects of that, but he's been cleared of any kind of brain or head-type stuff. That's really what matters. Broken bones heal. That doesn't mean he's not going to be in pain. But we're all really, really happy that David's OK."
Here's the video of the play, which is obviously quite graphic.
David Fry exited the game after being hit in the face by a pitch.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 24, 2025
He was able to walk under his own power and was carted off the field. pic.twitter.com/IrFO20gBbR
Skubal said that he wanted to wish Fry a full recovery and apologize, though he clearly wasn't at fault. Rather, it was a fluke incident -- one that saw Fry charged with a foul ball on the bunt attempt.
"I haven't really watched (a replay)," Skubal told reporters. "I got to see it live, and I don't want to keep watching that."
The Guardians placed Fry on the injured list on Wednesday, effectively ending his season. Outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez was recalled to take his place on the active roster.
"Imaging and clinical examination have confirmed that David Fry sustained multiple, minimally displaced, left-sided facial and nasal fractures," the Guardians announced on Wednesday afternoon. "While the injury will require close monitoring, including serial assessments, David is expected to fully recover over the next 6-8 weeks without the need for surgery. David was recently discharged from the Cleveland Clinic and is resting comfortably."
Fry, 29, had appeared in 66 games prior to Wednesday's injury. He hit .171/.229/.363 (61 OPS+) with eight home runs and 23 runs batted in. Those marks were down from last season, when he batted .263/.356/.448 (129 OPS+) with 14 home runs and 51 runs batted in.
