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Guardians DH David Fry taken to hospital after hit in face by Tarik Skubal pitch
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- Guardians DH David Fry taken to hospital after hit in face by Tarik Skubal pitch
CLEVELAND — A scary moment in the bottom of the sixth inning of the Guardians-Tigers game ended with David Fry being carted off the field after taking a baseball to the face.
While squaring up for a bunt, the Guardians designated hitter was hit square in the face by a Tarik Skubal pitch.
Fry remained down for several minutes and was eventually carted off the field with a towel covering his face.
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He did wave to the crowd as he exited.
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.
According to the Guardians, Fry underwent further assessment at Lutheran Medical Center after leaving the ballpark. The team said after the game Fry was transferred to the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus for further testing and observation and likely would be held overnight.
Manager Stephen Vogt did confirm after the game that Fry retained consciousness. The team said it will provide more updates Wednesday, Sept. 24, if available.
"Yeah, I feel like that kind of takes the breath out of the sails on that one," said left fielder Steven Kwan . "Definitely really scary. I mean for David to even try something like that, I mean, that's just who he is. Selfless kind of guy, and especially in a position like that, he's a tough guy. I mean, thankfully he had some humor when he came up [by giving a thumb's up like that], but you don't want to see a guy that's been with you pretty much the whole year [in that situation]."
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Skubal was visibly upset with what happened, throwing down his hat and putting both hands on his head. Skubal also paced around the mound as Fry was tended to by trainers.
"I've already reached out to him," Skubal told reporters after the game. "I'm sure his phone is blowing up. I just want to make sure he's all right. Obviously, he seemed like he was OK coming off the field and hopefully it stays that way. I know sometimes with those things, that can change. So hopefully he's all right. I look forward to hopefully at some point tonight or tomorrow morning getting a text from him and making sure he's all good because there's things that are bigger than the game and the health of him is more important than a baseball game."
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.
George Valera finished the at-bat. It was technically a strike, as Fry had the bat out in front.
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The Guardians scored three runs in the inning and lead the game 3-2 in the seventh inning.
The Guardians and Tigers are playing a three-game series with the lead in the American League Central Division at stake, as well as positioning in the AL wild card race.
The Tigers entered the game with a one-game lead over the Guardians in the Central, while Cleveland is tied with Houston for the third and final wild card spot.
This story has been updated .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: David Fry injured after Guardians DH hit in face by Tarik Skubal pitch
