Matt Shoemaker to Wear Head Protection After Brain Surgery

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker will wear "a protective insert in his cap" this season seven months after he was struck by a line drive and required brain surgery, according to William Weinbaum of ESPN.com.

"I'm completely comfortable not wearing anything beyond a cap," he said, "but I was asked to try stuff—it'll make others more comfortable—and if I can pitch as if it's not there, why not?" 

Shoemaker, 30, finished 9-13 in 2016, posting a 3.88 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 143 strikeouts in 160.0 innings pitched. He's expected to be one of the team's top starters this season.

He ultimately settled on the Safer Sports Technologies Pro Performance carbon-fiber head guard for this season, per Weinbaum, noting, "It's comfortable to the point that I don't know it's there."

He said that former Houston Astros pitcher Collin McHugh recommended the pitcher, and Dan Jennings also adopted a protective liner while pitching after being hit by a line drive two years ago. He ultimately stopped wearing it, however, citing performance issues.

Pitchers are uniquely vulnerable to line drives, given that they are directly in front of batters and the follow-through on their pitching motions often leaves them in unnatural positions and makes quick reactions difficult. 

Nonetheless, the head guard should offer Shoemaker added protection on his pitching side, as the founder and CEO of SST, Matt Meier, told ESPN.

"We actually make zero guarantees, but we've put the product through a battery of high-velocity tests and believe it reduces the risks of the worst consequences, like skull fractures and brain bleeds," he noted.