Athletics catcher Brian Serven had a rough night at the plate on Wednesday, and it’s not just because he couldn’t get a hit.
In the sixth inning of a game between the A’s and the Los Angeles Angels at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, Calif., Serven positioned himself for a bunt, but Halos reliever Jose Fermin’s 94 mph pitch bounced off Serven’s bat and hit him in the left part of his face.
The crowd let out a loud collective gasp as Serven fell to the ground. Fortunately, he was able to get up on his own and walk off the field under his own power. However, he was forced to leave the game, with Jonah Heim replacing him behind the plate, which the Athletics ended up winning, 7-3.
Before departing the game, Serven went 0-for-2 with a strikeout.
Here is a video of that scary moment.
A's catcher Brian Serven exited on his own power after getting hit in the face with a pitch while trying to bunt pic.twitter.com/6S7AmQ7gye
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 24, 2026
The extent of Serven’s injury was not immediately known, but it doesn’t seem as serious as the one suffered recently by Chicago Cubs star third baseman Alex Bregman in a similar incident. Bregman suffered multiple facial fractures after an errant foul ball hit him in the face while waiting for his turn in the on-deck circle.
The Athletics improved to 63-95 after the win over Los Angeles and now have just four more games, all in an upcoming series against the Houston Astros, left before taking an early vacation.
