MLB pitcher forced to leave game in New York after being drilled by 105 mph line drive: ‘I went numb’

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Shane Baz revealed his arm ‘went numb’ as he was forced to leave the game against the New York Mets after a terrifying incident. 

Baz started for the Orioles at Citi Field on Tuesday night, the second in a three-game series between the two teams in New York.

But he was drilled in the elbow as a 105.1mph line drive from Mets third baseman Bo Bichette was ripped right back in his direction.

Baz was hit on his right elbow, with the power of the hit seeing the ball fly all the way to left field as Bichette recorded a base hit.

The starting pitcher immediately bent over in pain and held his arm after taking off his glove. He tried to throw a warmup pitch but sailed it over the backstop. 

He was removed from the game but later claimed that was a cautious approach, and he believes he could have played on if he had a few more minutes to recover. 

‘It just kind of got me right in the bone, and you know, just kind of just went numb, you know,’ Baz told reporters after the game. 

‘Really wish I could have stayed in and been able to grind through it, just couldn’t really grip the ball.’

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said he was ‘pretty sore’ after the game but confirmed X-rays were negative. 

Baz signed a five-year, $68 million deal with the Orioles in the offseason and has made 30 starts with a 4.11 ERA. 

He allowed three runs on seven hits and two walks in his four innings pitched against the Mets. 

They won the game 7-5 in extra innings after Pete Alonso struck a tying home run in the 9th inning on his return to Citi Field to face his former team.

The blast was also the 300th MLB home run of Alonso’s career and he said after the game: ‘There’s a lot of history here with me.

‘It doesn’t matter where and when, I just want to help the team win. I’m just really, really happy for us to come back the way we did.’