Royals Pitcher Hit in Head by 106.6 mph Line Drive

Royals pitcher Seth Lugo left Wednesday's game against the Rangers after a line drive struck him in the head. The ball came off the bat of Brandon Nimmo at 106.6 mph during the top of the fourth inning with the Royals leading 1-0. Lugo had thrown 3 1/3 scoreless innings on 44 pitches before the incident.

Nimmo ran to first base but immediately turned back to check on Lugo. A large lump formed on Lugo's forehead as he walked off the field. Lugo joked that he would rather Nimmo hit a home run next time.

Royals reliever Mason Black entered the game and allowed two runs, one charged to Lugo when Nimmo scored. The Royals later posted on X that Lugo is doing well and will undergo appropriate protocol and testing. Lugo earned a no-decision and finished the night with a 3.91 ERA over 13 starts this season.

Lugo were drafted together in 2011 and made their first appearances in the 2016 season. They shared a clubhouse for seven years before Lugo moved to another team for the 2023 season. Nimmo was traded to the Rangers this offseason.