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.
Christian Vázquez took a foul ball to the helmet while in the on-deck circle 😳 pic.twitter.com/qLvkUSfM8M
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 16, 2023
Vázquez was able to laugh it off and walk away unscathed, but it was surely a frightening moment for all involved. Given how much time the veteran catcher has spent behind the plate, he’s well-equipped to handle such situations—and was likely just thankful that, rather that squatting mere inches behind home plate while on defense, he had more time to react in this particular situation.
