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David Fry says he's grateful for Guardians' support, shares injury update. 'I feel great'
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- David Fry says he's grateful for Guardians' support, shares injury update. 'I feel great'
Editor's note: Follow Guardians vs. Tigers live updates and highlights from Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series .
CLEVELAND — David Fry's 2-year-old daughter, Evelyn, had a heartwarming idea for a recent photo shoot with her father.
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"She immediately was giving me soft hugs, and yesterday she put a Band-Aid on her nose and wanted to take a picture with me," Fry said.
The support Fry has received from his family and the playoff-bound Guardians has helped his outlook in the aftermath of a devastating injury .
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With a swollen face, stitches in his nose and both nostrils stuffed with gauze, Fry spoke to reporters on Sept. 28 in the Guardians ' clubhouse before the team clinched the AL Central Division title with Detroit's loss in Boston and then defeated the Texas Rangers 9-8 in the regular-season finale.
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Fry made his first public comments since he took a 99-mph pitch to the face while attempting to bunt Sept. 23 in the sixth inning of a 5-2 win over the Detroit Tigers . After spending one night in the hospital, Fry was discharged with good news: Although he suffered facial and nasal fractures, he is expected to fully recover in the next six to eight weeks without the need for surgery.
Fry said he is scheduled to be reexamined on Oct. 2. He said he didn't lose teeth or have a concussion.
"I feel great, all things considered," Fry said. "I mean, 100% a God thing. It could have been way, way worse. [The doctors] just kept saying an inch up, an inch down, we could have had some real problems. But all in all, I feel great."
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Cleveland Guardians designated hitter David Fry on deck against the Colorado Rockies on July 30, 2025, in Cleveland.
Guardians' David Fry calls Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal visiting him in hospital 'a really cool class act'
Fry expressed gratitude for many members of the Guardians organization visiting him after the injury occurred.
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Guardians manager Stephen Vogt even drove Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, whose fastball struck Fry, to the hospital, so Skubal could check on Fry.
"Skubal coming was a really cool class act," Fry said. "I know a lot of guys said he was pretty shook up after the fact. [Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan] and his wife, a bunch of the people on the team and from the [organization visiting] was really special. As they were stitching me up, I'm sitting there talking fantasy football with [Kwan], making jokes, so it kind of made it easier for me."
Cleveland Guardians' David Fry leaves the field in a cart after he was hit in the face by a pitch by Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal on Sept. 23, 2025, in Cleveland.
Guardians had birthday party for David Fry's 2-year-old daughter
Before the Guardians clinched a playoff spot with a dramatic 3-2 win over the Rangers on Sept. 27, the Guardians threw a birthday party at Progressive Field for David and Rebekah Fry's daughter, Evelyn. The couple are expecting their second child, another girl, in about five weeks.
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"They were going to have a birthday party back home for Evelyn, and they had to fly up and come see me," Fry said. "It about made me cry. Even the guys coming in to sing happy birthday would've been above and beyond.
"We had the 'Frozen' cast come in and sing to her, and we had everybody in the organization there. It was pretty special. Whenever people do stuff for you, it's cool. But for your daughter, it was pretty dang awesome."
Cleveland Guardians' David Fry reacts after he was hit in the face by a pitch against the Detroit Tigers on Sept. 23, 2025, in Cleveland.
Fry, 29, said he's incredibly proud of the Guardians for completing their historic comeback in the MLB playoff race and punching their tickets to the postseason. He explained he's honored several of his teammates have pointed to him as an inspiration.
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"I love all these guys, and just getting pictures last night of them dousing my jersey with champagne, even when I don't get to be a part of these things, the fact that these guys fight for me is really cool," said Fry, an All-Star utility player last season who had been limited to designated-hitter duties this year coming off reconstructive elbow surgery.
Cleveland Guardians' David Fry celebrates in the dugout with teammates after scoring against the Detroit Tigers on July 22, 2024, in Cleveland.
Did David Fry's bat make contact with the ball before it hit the Cleveland Guardians player in the face?
Vogt said Fry took Skubal's pitch "straight to the face" instead of tipping the ball with his bat a split second before impact. However, video and photographic evidence is inconclusive.
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Fry said he doesn't know either way.
"I've heard both from many people, so I know it made contact with my face," he quipped.
Fry said he plans to bring energy to the Guardians clubhouse during the upcoming playoffs. He is eager to return to the batter's box next season.
"I'm already excited for that moment whenever it comes," Fry said. "I don't think it'll get to happen this year, but, yeah, next year, I'll be so excited to be back in the box. I'm not worried about it. It's part of playing sports. I'll be ready to go."
In the meantime, the Guardians have kept Fry's jersey in their dugout during recent games.
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"He's such a big part of our team," Vogt said.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal reacts after hitting Cleveland Guardians designated hitter David Fry in the face with a pitch Sept. 23, 2025, in Cleveland.
Fry expressed appreciation for Vogt driving Skubal to the hospital. Fry also said the manager played a big role in the Guardians holding a birthday party for his daughter.
"You do what's right for the person, and that's in any line of work," Vogt said. "It's about the people. When something like that happens to one of your players, you do whatever you can to make sure that their family is doing well."
Fortunately, Fry is doing well after a frightening experience.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com . On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Guardians' David Fry feels 'great' after taking 99 mph pitch to face
