Jake Cronenworth took a 97-mile-per-hour pitch to the face and didn’t leave.
The San Diego Padres infielder was up to bat against Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi with a man on second in the top of the fifth inning when a 97-mph fastball struck him in the cheek.
Cronenworth, luckily, wasn’t hit dead on and didn’t even come out of the game, taking a second to gather himself before heading to first base.
Still, it was a pretty frightening experience for those in attendance.
Cronenworth finished the game 1-for-1 with two walks and an RBI.
Cronenworth is a two-time All-Star from his seasons in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
The Padres later won the game 4-1, improving to 14-7 this season, and are just 1.5 games behind the Dodgers in the National League West, who are 15-5 to start the year.
Cronenworth is only hitting .152 this season, but the 32-year-old infielder remains a fixture on the Padres roster in his seventh full season with the team.
Though the Padres haven’t won the NL West since 2006, the team has been to the playoffs four times in six years, reaching the NLCS in 2022 and the NLDS in 2020 and 2024.
The team has also just had one losing season during that timeframe, making them one of the more successful National League teams in recent years despite their lack of deep playoff trips.
