Former Woodward Academy two-sport star Delino DeShields Jr. took a 90-mph fastball to the face last week during a minor league game in Texas.
The second baseman, a 2010 first-round draft pick of the Houston Astros, plays with the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Double-A Texas League. The 21-year-old doesn't recall the pitch that broke his cheek.
After the hit to the face, DeShields Jr. walked off the field on his own. He likely won't play for 6-to-8 weeks, but he told a TV station in Dallas he was ready "right now."
"I am a very strong individual. I have a football mindset. That is what got me to walk off the field," DeShields told NBC 5 News.
Two years ago, DeShields Jr. set a record with 101 steals in a season.
DeShields Jr. is the son of former major league second baseman Delino DeShields. DeShields Jr. was recruited to play football by Georgia Tech, Stanford, Purdue and Ole Miss, but opted for a career in baseball instead. DeShields' sister, Diamond, recently opted to transfer from North Carolina after one season on the women's basketball team.
Here's what getting hit by a 90-mph fastball looks like:
