Rangers OF reveals extent of injuries after HBP to face

Texas Rangers left fielder Josh Smith. Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

Rangers OF reveals extent of injuries after being hit in face with pitch

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 4/5/23

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Smith had a big scare on Monday night when he was hit in the face by a pitch from Baltimore Orioles pitcher Danny Coulombe.

After he was hit by a 1-0 pitch in the third inning of Monday's game, Smith immediately dropped to the dirt, was placed in Major League Baseball's concussion protocol and taken to a local hospital.

Yikes, Josh Smith just took an 89 MPH pitch to the jaw pic.twitter.com/UUVfmjQeN4
— Ben Palmer (@benjpalmer) April 4, 2023

On Tuesday, Smith revealed the extent of his injuries, and it was not as bad as it could have been.

Smith said he received six stitches on the lower right side of his face, had a small cut inside his mouth and was dealing with some swelling. That sounds painful enough, but the good news is that he suffered no fractures as a result of the pitch and didn't lose any teeth. Smith added he cleared the league's concussion protocol.

He also said that he is feeling "pretty good."

"I feel pretty good actually. I slept good," Smith said before Tuesday's game, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "It's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Really no pain or anything like that."

He will not be in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Orioles.

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