Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby proved just how tough he is Tuesday night after taking a 102.7 mph line drive straight to the jaw – and not even going down.
With two outs in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles, Kirby fired an inside fastball to Ramón Urías, only to see it rocketed right back at him.
The ball smashed into the right side of his face, drawing blood immediately. But instead of collapsing, Kirby stunned fans and teammates alike by jogging off the field under his own power, blood dripping from his mouth.
“I didn’t even see it coming,” Kirby admitted. “Just put my hand up. So, just glad it kind of missed any of the bad spots on my face.”
Kirby has been improving this season
Social media exploded with respect for the 27-year-old. “Didn’t even go down,” one fan posted on X. “Mad respect.”
Manager Dan Wilson called the moment “scary,” but added that Kirby was in good spirits postgame. “He was able to gather it all together,” Wilson said. “There was some blood coming down when he came off the field… but I think he’s going to be okay.”
The incident overshadowed what had been Kirby’s strongest outing of the season so far. After a rocky start to the year – delayed by shoulder inflammation and marked by an 11.42 ERA over two appearances – Kirby finally looked sharp. He gave up only two runs over five innings and tossed 95 pitches before exiting for reliever Eduard Bazardo.
Tests are still pending, but Kirby feels fine
Despite the violent hit, Kirby says he feels “great right now,” with only some swelling on the side of his face. He’ll undergo X-rays on Wednesday, but both he and the team are optimistic.
“George is a competitor,” Wilson said. “A lot of times, these things can make you stronger, and that’s what I expect from George.”
If toughness could be measured, Kirby just pitched a complete game.
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