Cleveland Guardians pitching prospect Aidan Major was struck in the head by a line drive and forced to leave a minor league baseball game early on Tuesday.
Major was pitching for the Guardians’ Single-A team, the Hill City Howlers, at their home stadium in Lynchburg, Virginia against the Fayetteville Woodpeckers – the Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.
In the top of the first inning, Major was pitching to Astros third-base prospect Xavier Neyens.
On a 2-0 pitch, Neyens smacked a hit right back at Major that gave the pitcher no time to duck out of the way.
Major was struck in the cheek and instantly crumpled to the grass as he writhed around in pain.
Training staff rushed out to him to check in and provide first aid before Major eventually got up and onto a cart.
Guardians pitching prospect Aidan Major (pictured in 2024) was hit in the face with a comeback fastball in a Single-A game he was starting on Tuesday
Major writhed on the ground in pain before leaving to be evaluated at a hospital
He reportedly flashed a thumbs-up to the crowd before leaving the stadium to undergo further tests.
In a statement on X late Tuesday night, the pitcher’s father, Chad, said that his son was ‘doing well considering the scary event.’
‘Currently still in the hospital awaiting results from scans,’ Chad added. ‘He wanted to get back to the stadium to cheer on his teammates.’
Major, who pitched in college for West Virginia, has done well to start the season – pitching a 3.10 ERA across 29 innings pitched.
Despite the early pull from the game, the Howlers managed to hang on to win a tight 5-4 contest in his absence.
