BOSTON — Tanner Houck’s outing came to a premature end on Friday when Kyle Higashioka struck the Red Sox righty in the face with a line drive.
Houck tried to get his glove on the ball, but it left him with a facial fracture and forced him out of Boston’s 15-5 win after allowing one earned run over four innings. Houck left the field under his own power, but with a towel over his bloody face.
Houck appeared to acknowledge Higashioka as he exited, as he pumped a fist in the direction of the Yankees catcher, who singled on the play.
“At first, I was hoping he got a glove on it,” Higashioka said Saturday. “I wasn’t sure exactly if it squared him up, but once I was able to turn around, definitely, it looked like it was pretty bad.
“It seemed like he was doing all right as he was walking off the field. So that was at least good to see. But it’s still not something you want to see out there. So I’m just glad that he’s doing alright.”
Aaron Boone, meanwhile, called it a “scary” situation.
“His body language made me nervous,” the Yankees manager said of Houck. “Probably when he saw the blood, it kind of probably freaked him out a little bit, understandably so. Hoping and praying for the best for him.”
On Saturday, the Red Sox announced that Houck was evaluated at Mass General Hospital after leaving the game. At the time of the announcement, Houck was resting at home and in stable condition. He has follow-up appointments scheduled for next week to determine his next steps and a treatment plan.
Higashioka said that he received updates on Houck during the game, and he checked in with former Yankees teammate and current Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder later in the night. Higashioka had not connected with Houck yet when he spoke to reporters on Saturday.
The backstop added that he felt “a little bit” shaken up on the play, but Higashioka was glad to know that the pitcher was doing relatively well.
“It’s just not something I enjoy seeing, and I’m glad it wasn’t as bad as it could have possibly been.”
