Liriano OK after line drive to head
ARLINGTON, TEXAS• Toronto left-hand er Francisco Liriano was hospitalized as a precaution Friday after taking a line drive near the back of his head in the Blue Jays’ win over Texas.
Liriano turned away from the hit by Carlos Gomez with one out in the eighth inning and the ball ricocheted off his head into right- centre field. The hit was measured at 102 mph and Gomez winced as he headed to first on the run-scoring single.
Liriano, 32, stayed on his feet and walked around the infield briefly before his teammates, a trainer and manager John Gibbons came out to check on him. He left the field on his own, but was taken to a hospital on a stretcher via ambulance wearing a neck brace.
“He’s just going for further tests,” said Gibbons, who wasn’t sure precisely where the ball struck Liriano. “Anytime you get a head injury, you got to get it looked at. So that’s about the extent of it right now.”
Liriano was checked out at the hospital and has been cleared to fly home with the team.
Blue Jays backup catcher Dioner Navarro saw Liriano in the clubhouse before he was taken to hospital.
“I know we’re playing in the playoffs. I know all that. I know the game was on the line. But once the ball hits somebody in the head like that, the No. 1 concern is the guy’s well- being,” said Navarro. “You can’t even describe what goes through your mind at that moment. It’s frightening. Oh man, so many things go through your mind. Unfortunately, I’ ve been through a few of those, too many really. As a catcher your first reaction is let’s see how the guy is doing.”
Aaron Sanchez, scheduled to start Game 3 for the Jays, said it was “something you don’t ever want to see.
“I was really surprised he was still on his feet,” he said. “Knock on wood, it’s never happened to me.”
The Blue Jays have used Lariano in both starting and relief roles. He was moved to the bullpen for the playoffs, where he was expected to bolster a staff short on lefties after Joaquin Benoit injured his calf in a late-season brawl with the New York Yankees. Aside from Liriano, the bullpen includes just two left- handed pitchers: Brett Cecil and Aaron Loup.
Liriano was the winning pitcher in the wild- card game against Baltimore.