PHOENIX -- How tough are catchers? Well, less than 24 hours after being hit in the face by a 93 mph fastball that fractured teeth and his nose and had him sporting stitches in his upper lip, D-backs catcher Chris Iannetta had a message for manager Torey Lovullo.
"He's eager to play," Lovullo said. "Said he could play tonight if he had to, but obviously that's not going to happen."
Iannetta was hit in the face by the pitch from Johnny Barbato in the seventh inning Friday night and was taken to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he was treated until just after 1 a.m.
A CT scan was negative, and Iannetta was entered into the concussion protocol but did not show any signs of having one. It's possible that he won't need a stint on the 10-day disabled list, but the team had not made a decision on that front.
Barbato texted Iannetta last night and told reporters that Iannetta showed a "sense of humor" about it. That was a relief to Barbato, who had been worried about Iannetta's outcome.
The D-backs and Pirates have had beanball incidents over the past several years, and Lovullo was asked if he thought things would "escalate" after Iannetta was hit.
"For me, no," Lovullo said. "Somebody asked me the question last night about the Pittsburgh Pirates, it's a nonissue for me. If it's something that is an issue, the league is obviously in change of making those decisions. So, between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Pittsburgh Pirates, it's a nonissue."
Lovullo was also asked about the Pirates' reputation for throwing pitches up and in.
"I don't know enough of the Pittsburgh Pirates personally at this point in time, so it's not a question that I can really answer," Lovullo said. "I know there's a strategy to pitching in and a need for pitching in, and by no means do I think anybody tried to hit Chris Iannetta in the face yesterday. So for me, that's why it's a nonissue."
Iannetta was unavailable for comment.