New York Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar suffered multiple nasal fractures when he took a 94-MPH fastball from Braves reliever Jacob Webb straight to his face.
Pillar was placed on the 10-day injured list but was at Truist Park to watch the second game of the series between the NL East rivals.
“I feel good. I feel real good actually. Despite not looking so good, I feel as close to normal as possible,” Pillar told reporters. “The only tough thing is my right eye is suffering from a little bit of swelling and I can’t really breathe out of my nose, but besides that, I feel good and I feel lucky and excited to get on this recovery and get back to what I love doing.”
Pillar told reporters on Tuesday he feels “lucky,” all things considered.
“Feel lucky…feel close to normal…can’t breath well but excited to start my recovery,” Pillar said on Tuesday, via Bruce Beck of WNBC. “My immediate reaction was sadness – not about the pain but because my heart is broken because the team is hurting!”
Pillar was hit square in the nose by a 94 mph pitch from Webb with the bases loaded in the seventh inning Monday night.
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Webb said he was trying to throw a high pitch, but the ball simply got away from him.
“I wasn’t trying to hit him,” the pitcher said, still clearly affected a day after the incident. “It definitely came out of my hand weird. I knew right away when I threw it. I felt it.”
