ST. LOUIS – After Braves reliever Jackson Stephens exited Friday’s game, he went into the clubhouse to change and receive an evaluation from the Braves’ medical staff. From the clubhouse, he called his wife, who had been really worried about him, on FaceTime.
“When I saw my face on the screen,” Stephens said, “I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”
He had a huge knot on his forehead from the 90.4 mph line drive that struck him. Fortunately, the ugly bruising and a scrape from the baseball were the worst things to come out of a scary situation.
Stephens passed the medical tests he underwent, but has a mild concussion and landed on the seven-day concussion injured list. “It’s kind of hard not to say that you have a mild concussion after that,” Stephens said. This could have turned out much worse, as he said he is not dealing with any severe symptoms.
On the field and after he left the game, Stephens was aware of his surroundings. After the Braves’ medical team evaluated him, he went to a local hospital and received testing, including a CT scan. The good news: All the tests, which checked for fractures and internal damage, came back clean.
Thus, Stephens felt fortunate amid an unfortunate situation because his biggest worry had been internal damage. “That was the best-case scenario, really,” he said. He was with the Braves on Saturday, sporting a big headband to protect the bruise.
“Obviously it was kind of a scary moment,” Stephens said Saturday. “When it hit me, it was just like, ‘That didn’t feel good,’ and really was like, ‘I don’t know where this ball is and then where I’m going to go run from it.’ I just stood there just kind of seeing what was going on. … The immediate shock was, ‘Dang, that didn’t feel so good, but hopefully it stays like this right now instead of getting worse.’”
Stephens did not have any headaches until he got back to his hotel room after leaving the hospital. He took a Tylenol and the pain went away. His forehead is just sore, which is to be expected.
This was the first time Stephens had been hit in the head with a baseball – but not the first time he was hit in the head. Growing up, he played football. He also has been drilled in the head with basketballs he did not see coming while cutting on the court. Stephens has seen situations in which athletes didn’t know their own names after hitting their heads. He was not in that situation.
He’s one tough (you can pick your own words here). But you knew that, considering he walked off under his own power after the baseball struck his forehead.
“If I’m on the ground, that’s when it’s bad, for me,” Stephens said. “I would think I’m a pretty tough dude, but I just did not feel a need to have to sit down or whatever. I just wanted to just walk off on my power and just stand there and be like, ‘I’m all right, I’m all right.’”
Stephens crouched behind the mound, but was never laying or sitting on the ground. He simply walked off the field and went into the clubhouse.
After the game, Stephens’ teammates expressed concern for his health. He sat in the training room, uncertain of what was going on or how things would turn out. But he appreciated his teammates checking on him. “I know I didn’t pitch my best, but at the same time, everybody came up, was like, ‘Hey, are you OK?’” Stephens said.
“It honestly almost felt like we lost the game when that happened,” William Contreras said through interpreter Franco García after Friday’s win. “It’s just kind of one of those things, like we knew we were winning, but he’s such a great teammate, and obviously this clubhouse is full of great teammates as well, so when you see something like that happen to someone you care about, a teammate, it kind of just takes the wind out of your sails. It was hard. Even though we won that game, we kind of lost that happiness and that joy.”
The Braves recalled right-hander Jay Jackson to take Stephens’ roster spot. Jackson has not pitched in the big leagues this season, but he has allowed only three earned runs over 15-2/3 innings this season.
Stephens was told not to throw Saturday, but expected to be able to stretch with the team and watch the game. He does not know when he will resume throwing.
But after a frightening play, it looks like he will be OK.
“It’s kind of a scary situation,” Stephens said. “I’m just very fortunate that nothing major was wrong.”
Mike Soroka makes third rehab start
On Saturday, Mike Soroka allowed four runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings in his third rehab start. He struck out three batters, walked three and threw 75 pitches for Triple-A Gwinnett.
All four runs against Soroka scored in the second inning.
In that second inning, Soroka gave up a single before walking a batter. He then allowed a run-scoring single to former teammate Johan Camargo. The other three runs scored on a sacrifice fly, an RBI single and a double play.
Arcia begins rehab assignment
In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Aug. 10, Orlando Arcia, who had sustained a left hamstring strain the night before, said through interpreter Franco García that the Braves told him he could be ready to return in three to four weeks.
That timeline appears to look rather accurate, barring a setback.
Arcia on Saturday began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett. He went 2-for-4 with a double and scored a run.
Since the injury, manager Brian Snitker has said multiple times that Arcia progressed faster than he could have imagined.
“We thought originally when it happened that it would be a longer-term thing than what it was,” Snitker said. “But again, you never know. Everybody’s different in how they react to stuff like that and all that. I thought, ‘Oh my God, he may not play the rest of the year.’”
Arcia filled in capably at second base when Ozzie Albies fractured his foot. Upon Arcia’s return, it seems Vaughn Grissom would still get the majority of playing time at second base until Albies returns. On Friday, Snitker made it sound as if Albies is nearing his own rehab assignment.
This season, Arcia is batting .243 with a .726 OPS. He has seven homers and 26 RBIs. His arm strength has allowed him to make several nice plays at second base.
Acuña out of lineup with ongoing knee soreness
As Snitker watched Ronald Acuña warm up for Friday’s game, something did not look right to him.
And at one point in the game, Acuña appeared to be running weird – as if he was dealing with some pain – as he ran around the bases.
Acuña was not in Saturday’s lineup as he continues to manage right knee soreness. Snitker said there is inflammation in the knee.
“It’s something he’s going to just have to gut through and fight through all year,” Snitker said. “Every now and then, we’re just going to make him available, but try and give him a little blow.”
In Acuña’s absence, shortstop Dansby Swanson led off while Guillermo Heredia was in right field.
Rosario will return to the outfield
Eddie Rosario, who exited the team’s Aug. 15 game against the Mets with left hamstring tightness, is expected to play in the outfield Sunday, Snitker said. That would be his first game in left field since the hamstring issues began.
The Braves have been using Rosario as their designated hitter to get him into the lineup. It is easier for him to manage the hamstring tightness this way than playing in left field.
Rosario played in left field on Saturday after pinch-hitting.
