Catchers are used to getting pelted by foul balls all the time—with all the gear they’re required to wear, it’s simply considered an occupational hazard. But Twins backstop Christian Vázquez likely didn’t expect he was in harm’s way while standing in the on-deck circle during Wednesday’s game against the Tigers.
During Donovan Solano’s third-inning at-bat, a foul ball struck Vázquez in the helmet as he awaited his turn at the plate, narrowly missing hitting him in the face. Despite the fact that Vázquez was much closer to setting up behind home plate than taking his warm-up swings near the dugout, the flight path of the ball took an odd angle and still found him.
Thankfully, he was able to duck his head just in time, resulting in a harmless glance off the brim of his helmet and avoiding a potentially serious situation.
