Omar Infante hit in face by Heath Bell pitch (Video)

Kansas City Royals second baseman Omar Infante was hit in the face with a pitch from Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Heath Bell in the bottom of the seventh inning on Monday night. A two-seam fastball appeared to get away from Bell and hit Infante square in the chin.

Fortunately, Infante did not suffer any type of serious injury. He needed six stitches to close a cut on the lower left side of his face but avoided a concussion or fracture.

“I think he’s going to be OK,” Royals manager Ned Yost told reporters, via MLB.com’s Dick Kaegel. “We’re just going to have to have to take a little bit of time with him. He could hardly talk last night, he couldn’t even open his jaw and that’s what made me nervous, but it’ll be OK.

“It’s a lot better than it could have been, that’s for sure.”

Infante was diagnosed with a strain of his right jaw because of the impact, so hopefully he won’t see any long-term effects from that. He is still being evaluated, but it sounds like the the veteran infielder was lucky. Here’s hoping he has a speedy recovery.