Please note: this is a re-post of a Heater Blog post from Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times:
Rays righthander Alex Cobb has been upset with his fastball location during camp, while knowing he’s had just two outings since August surgery to remove a rib.
But Cobb couldn’t even describe the emotions he had when he watched one of his errant fastballs hit Orioles LF Nolan Reimold in the head in Friday’s exhibition. Reimold was on the ground for several minutes before getting up on his own power. He was carted off the field, taken to a local hospital.
“That’s probably the worst feeling you can have as a pitcher is seeing someone like that, being the cause of a guy taking a step back in his career possibly,” Cobb said. “It’s just something you never want to see on a baseball field. And when you’re the cause of it, it’s a feeling you can’t describe.”
Cobb threw three shutout innings and felt good physically. He said he was able to get Reimold’s phone number through his agent, and plans on checking up on him later. Orioles RHP Jake Arrieta said there’s “a lot of concern” over Reimold.
“I heard a pretty good amount of helmet being hit there, but I did see his face,” Arrieta said. “When he did stand up, he looked a little swollen, but hopefully the helmet took the majority of the impact and it’s just a nice bruise. Hopefully, the orbital bone and everything surrounding his eye and his cheekbone, remained intact. We’re all praying for him.”
— JOE SMITH
joesmith@tampabay.com