Rays' Amed Rosario Gets 2 Stitches for Facial Injury After Being Hit by 99 MPH Pitch

Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Amed Rosario says he received two stitches after being hit in the head with a 99-mile-per-hour fastball in the top of Saturday's first inning in Pittsburgh.

"I feel good. Luckily it wasn't anything worse," Rosario said through a translator after the Rays' 4-3 loss to the Pirates (h/t Bally Sports Florida.) "It wasn't too much. They gave me just two stitches on there."

Rosario was struck in the helmet on a third pitch from Pirates rookie Jared Jones.

Bally Sports' Tricia Whitaker reported that Rosario suffered "facial lacerations," but that an initial evaluation did not reveal any broken bones on the injury.

"I'm not sure what hit first. I know it hit my arm, and I know it hit the C-flap, which is what caused the cut," Rosario said through his translator.

Rosario added that he believed that the ball making contact with the C-flap, the attachment on the batter's helmet that protects the cheek and jaw, prevented worse injury.

Outfielder Richie Palacios came in to run for Rosario, and second baseman José Caballero took over his infield spot in the bottom of the frame.

Whitaker later reported that Rosario had returned to the dugout, although he did not take an at-bat for the rest of the game.

The eight-year MLB veteran said he was more concerned about missing time Saturday than about the severity of the facial injury.

When asked if he expected to miss additional time, Rosario said, "I hope not."

"That's the decision of the trainers in there, so we'll see what happens," Rosario said.

Rosario, who began his career with the New York Mets before stints with the Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers, signed with the Rays in February.

He has played a variety of defensive positions in Tampa Bay while slashing a career-best .301/.323/.416 through 59 games heading into Saturday's contest.

The Rays' three-game winning streak ended Saturday as the team dropped to 37-40. Tampa Bay will hope to have Rosario back in the lineup as the team faces another Pirates rookie pitcher when Paul Skenes takes the mound Sunday.