PITTSBURGH -- A day after sustaining multiple facial fractures when he was struck in the cheek by a 92-mph fastball by Rockies right-hander Jordan Lyles, Pirates right-hander Ryan Vogelsong remains at Allegheny General Hospital for further evaluation.
Vogelsong is "in good spirits," according to head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk, who visited the veteran pitcher on Tuesday. Catcher Francisco Cervelli also saw Vogelsong in the hospital, and manager Clint Hurdle spoke twice on the phone with Vogelsong's wife, Nicole.
"He is a very positive guy. He is a man of faith," Tomczyk said. "He is relying on all of those things, including his family, both Pirate and immediate, to get him through this time."
The Pirates placed Vogelsong on the 15-day disabled list before Tuesday's series opener against the D-backs at PNC Park and called up right-hander A.J. Schugel from Triple-A Indianapolis to take Vogelsong's place on the active roster.
There is still a significant amount of swelling around Vogelsong's left eye, Tomczyk said. The good news: He's not being treated for a concussion, his vision is improving and doctors believe there is no "significant" damage to the eye itself.
Vogelsong's eye was completely shut when he arrived at the hospital on Monday, Tomczyk said, but it was "somewhat open" by Tuesday afternoon. Given the amount of swelling in the area, Tomczyk could only say Vogelsong will be out "a while."
"Once that significant swelling subsides, the doctors will have a much clearer picture of how the facial fractures will be addressed," Tomczyk said.
Vogelsong was carted off the field and sent to Allegheny General Hospital on Monday after Lyles' 0-2 pitch struck him flush in the zygomatic arch (cheek bone) during the second inning of Pittsburgh's 6-3 victory.
When the pitch hit him, Vogelsong immediately fell face down in the batter's box. He spoke clearly and coherently and was able to kneel and walk to a medical cart on his own, sitting up as Tomczyk held a towel over the right-hander's injured left eye.
"He remembers everything," Tomczyk said. "Ryan did not lose any consciousness during that severe trauma, which is very important in this whole process. He was scared, yes, all those emotions."
Vogelsong was making a spot start in Monday's makeup game after Sunday's Rockies-Pirates game at PNC Park was rained out. He pitched two scoreless innings before he was hit by a pitch.
"I think there's different tipping points of the season that let you know baseball's not the most important thing in the world going on, as hard as that is to understand at times," Hurdle said. "There are situations that happen that let you reacquaint yourself with real life. ... It's hard, but I think it does recalibrate us at times, get us back into a better understanding of what we can do to help a neighbor, help somebody else from time to time."