New York Mets manager Luis Rojas was unable to provide any further update on Tuesday evening regarding Kevin Pillar after he was hit in the face by a 95-mph fastball by Atlanta Braves pitcher Jacob Webb on Monday night.
The incident happened in the seventh inning when Webb’s fastball got away from him, striking Pillar directly in the nose. After he laid on the ground with blood excessively pouring from his face, he was able to walk off the field.
The Mets announced earlier on Wednesday that the 32-year-old suffered multiple nasal fractures and he would be meeting with a facial specialist in Atlanta to determine his next steps.
“We talked over the phone and I did see him,” Rojas said. “His face is swollen. Right now he’s seeing a specialist for further things to know about what’s going on and what the plan’s going to be after this. All we know is the fractures. After seeing the specialist, we don’t know what was said to him then but we’ll get some details later.”
All things considered, Pillar is lucky that it only came to that as the incident clearly shook up both benches — most notably Webb, who seemed as though he was holding back tears while sitting in the dugout.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said that Pillar answered a text message sent earlier on Tuesday claiming that “if I could see out of my right eye, I’d be in the lineup [Tuesday].”
Mets starting pitcher Marcus Stroman added that Pillar “walked in the clubhouse and goes ‘am I in the lineup today or what?’ What a WARRIOR!”
To prepare for the absence of Pillar — who is just the latest Mets outfielder to go down along with Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, and Albert Almora — the Mets acquired Cameron Maybin from the Cubs for cash considerations. The 14-year veteran was assigned to the team’s Triple-A affiliate in Syracuse.
Elsewhere on the Mets injury front, starting pitcher Taijuan Walker had his MRI come back clean on Tuesday, according to Rojas. The veteran right-hander left Monday night’s game after three scoreless innings with left-side tightness.
“Taijuan feels great,” Rojas said. “Even before going to the MRI he told our trainer that he feels really good and he didn’t feel anything.”
The Mets will monitor the mechanics of Walker to see if there is any motion that’s causing the discomfort. It’s vital for a pitcher who is pitching in his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery, though he’s been a stalwart in the Mets’ rotation with a 2.05 ERA over eight starts.
