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The Seattle Mariners pitcher and Rye, NY native Kirby had a frightening moment on the mound when a 102.7 mph line drive hit him in the face during his start against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, June 3, according to a report by MLB.com.
The incident happened in the top of the fifth inning at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, when a comebacker off the bat of Baltimore’s Ramón Urías struck Kirby’s pitching thumb before deflecting into the right side of his mouth. He walked off the field bleeding but under his own power.
"I didn't even see it coming, just put my hand up,” Kirby, a graduate of Rye High School, told MLB.com, adding, “I'm just glad it kind of missed any of the bad spots on my face.”
Kirby, 26, later added, "I didn't even hurt, honestly. It got my hand -- like 50/50, hand/mouth, but we're good. There’s nothing wrong with it.”
Kirby had a noticeable bruise and cut on his face but said he felt fine. Mariners manager Dan Wilson said he may still undergo further medical evaluation, including X-rays.
The injury came on Kirby’s 95th pitch, the last of a five-inning outing where he gave up two earned runs, eight singles, and a walk while striking out three. The Mariners lost, but Kirby showed signs of returning to form after missing the first eight weeks of the season due to shoulder inflammation.
"I felt great. Obviously, I don't want to throw many pitches in five innings. But I'm glad I feel really good from it -- after it -- so that's a good sign," Kirby told the news outlet.
Kirby was an All-Star in 2023 and is widely regarded as one of the top young pitchers in Major League Baseball. A graduate of Rye High School, he was drafted in the first round by the Mariners in 2019.
Though Seattle has lost all three of his starts since his return, the near miss on Tuesday didn’t appear to be a setback—just a scare.
Click here to read the full report from MLB.com.
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