Washington Nationals third baseman Paul DeJong is headed to the 10-day injured list with a fractured nose after a scary scene during Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
During the sixth inning, a fastball from Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller crept inside and hit DeJong in the face. The 93-mph pitch sent the infielder to the dirt with a bloody gash below his eye.
DeJong left the game and received a CT scan, Nationals manager Dave Martinez said after the game.
“Situations like that are scary. We just hope for the best, really. I didn’t really know what happened. I thought it hit him in the helmet; that’s what it sounded like,” Nationals outfielder James Wood told MLB.com. “But just hearing more about it, it didn’t look pretty.”
DeJong had maintained a .204 average with two RBIs and two stolen bases during his first season in the District.
Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo called up infielder Trey Lipscomb to fill DeJong’s spot on the roster.
Lipscomb, a Maryland native, recorded a home run, 20 runs, 11 stolen bases and a .200 batting average in 61 games with the Nationals last season.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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