Padres' Jake Cronenworth Hit in the Face with a 96 MPH Fastball During MLB Game
“That’s the first time I’ve been hit in the face like that since, probably, playing hockey,” Cronenworth said
San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth goes down after being hit by a pitch in the face. Credit: John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty NEED TO KNOW San Diego Padres player Jake Cronenworth was struck in the face by a 96 mph fastball, but he opted to remain in the game and helped his team clinch a win A broadcast of the Padres' game against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, April 18, caught the moment when Cronenworth, 32, was hit in the chin “That’s the first time I’ve been hit in the face like that since, probably, playing hockey,” the infielder said San Diego Padres player Jake Cronenworth was struck in the face by a 96 mph fastball — but he opted to remain in the game and helped his team take home a win. A broadcast of the Padres' game against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, April 18, caught the moment when Cronenworth, 32, was hit in the chin during the fifth inning after a high-speed pitch from Angels player Yusei Kikuchi.
The ball grazed Cronenworth's shoulder before hitting him in the chin. He could be seen immediately dropping to the ground. Broadcast replays showed the ball deflecting off his face before striking catcher Logan O'Hoppe.
“That’s the first time I’ve been hit in the face like that since, probably, playing hockey,” Cronenworth, who grew up playing hockey in Michigan, told MLB. com . “First reaction was just to try to make sure my jaw’s OK.
” Jake Cronenworth reacts after getting hit with a pitch Credit: AP Photo/Caroline Brehman The game was paused for several minutes while Cronenworth was evaluated by team trainers, but the infielder eventually decided to stay in the game. “He’s a hockey player, and he didn’t lose any teeth,” Padres manager Craig Stammen told MLB. com.