CLEVELAND — Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal visited Cleveland Guardians designated hitter David Fry at the Cleveland Clinic hospital, just hours after hitting him in the face with a 99 mph fastball during a bunt attempt.
Fry suffered multiple fractures after he was hit in the sixth inning of the Tigers’ 5-2 loss to the Guardians on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at Progressive Field, described by the Guardians as “minimally displaced, left-side facial and nasal fractures.”
He is expected to recover in six to eight weeks without surgery.
“I was going there just to make sure he was all right,” Skubal said Wednesday in the Tigers clubhouse. “This is a game but we’re all humans. And (expletive) like that happens. That’s real-life stuff, not baseball game stuff.”
Skubal was visibly shaken after Fry was injured. He threw down his glove and cap and paced behind the mound as Fry collapsed near home plate.
After the game, Skubal went to the hospital to check on Fry with Guardians manager Stephen Vogt.
“Tarik Skubal is an unbelievable human,” Vogt said. “Yes, we’re competing. Yes, it’s important when we’re out on the field, but some things are bigger than baseball.”
“Tarik cares about people first,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “I didn’t know Tarik was going to go over there, but I found out that he had stopped by and talked to him. That is very important for players to take care of players and for us to be people despite wearing different uniforms.”
Vogt did not feel it was intentional and has not seen a replay.
He doesn’t want to see it again.
“When you put yourself into a position to bunt correctly, you’re putting yourself in a vulnerable position,” Vogt said. “He threw a fastball, and it just happened to be right at him. There was nothing he could do.”
Skubal met Fry at the 2024 MLB All-Star Game and appreciates how he fought his way to the big leagues from a meager beginning, just like Skubal.
“If you look at his story, not a high pick, kind of grinded his way up,” Skubal said. “His story is pretty cool. And 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 has been discharged from the hospital.
“He’s in great spirits,” Vogt said. “I went and saw him last night joking around — normal David Fry personality. He’s a tough, tough kid. We’re just super thankful that he’s home resting. His family’s coming to town, so they’ll be back together as a family tonight.”
The Guardians placed Fry on the 10-day injured list, calling up outfielder Johnathan Rodríguez from Triple-A Columbus to replace him on the roster.
“We have a number of guys that are still in Columbus staying ready,” Vogt said. “So Jonathan has been working out there. He’s ready to go. So we’re excited to have Jonathan back, and he’ll kind of fit into that David Fry-type role, maybe play some outfield as well versus lefties.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold. Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him @seideljeff.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: David Fry update: Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal visits injured Guardians player in hospital
Reporting by Evan Petzold and Jeff Seidel, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
