LAKELAND, Fla. -- Pirates reliever Chris Devenski was still being evaluated one day after he was struck in the head by a line drive during Friday night’s 7-5 win over the Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium, but so far, the news is the best the Bucs could hope for.
"Nothing firm on any diagnosis," manager Don Kelly said Saturday afternoon, "but he's at home resting and doing as well as he can.
"That was really scary."
Devenski, in Pirates camp as a non-roster invite after signing a Minor League deal in January, entered for the seventh inning and struck out Colt Keith before Tigers infield prospect Woody Hadeen hit a line drive back up the middle at 103 mph, according to Statcast. The ball hit Devenski on the side of the head and bounced toward third base as Devenski dropped to the ground.
He was eventually carted off the field, but he got up and walked over to the cart under his own power.
Pirates athletic training staff and stadium medical personnel rushed to the mound as a clearly distraught Hadeen stood on first base. Devenski sat up in the front seat as he was wheeled off the field.