A scary scene unfolded at Friday's Angels-Mariners game in Seattle, when M's slugger Justin Upton absorbed a pitch to the helmet, thrown by Los Angeles starter Michael Lorenzen.
After laying facedown in the batter's box for several moments while he was being tended to, Upton was thankfully able to walk off under his own power. Manager Scott Servais said Upton was conscious and speaking the whole time.
Miraculously Upton seemed to have avoided injury, and even said after the game that he could be back in the lineup as soon as Saturday. Friday's game -- and the scary exit -- marked the veteran outfielder's first game as a Mariner following his early-season release by the Angels.
Meanwhile, Lorenzen told reporters after the game that the entire incident was avoidable.
The veteran right-hander, who signed with the Angels in the offseason after several years with the Cincinnati Reds, pointed the blame squarely on MLB and the purportedly inconsistent texture and grip of the baseballs.
"These baseballs are slick," Lorenzen said. "They did get someone hurt. So that's on Major League Baseball for sure. I don't know what's going on. These baseballs are straight out of the package."
Pitchers and hitters alike have voiced their concerns about an apparent change for the worse in the overall grip of the baseball.
Some have even advocated for the resumed use of sticky substances such as Spider Tac to ensure pitchers can maintain a safe grasp on the dangerous projectile.
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