Chris Bassitt provided one of the more frightening moments of the 2021 season. The Oakland A’s pitcher was struck in the face by a line drive, resulting in facial fractures and costing him approximately a month of the season. The fact that he was able to return at all last season was remarkable.
It is also remarkable that Bassitt has had such a sense of humor about what happened. Take, for instance, his response to Shohei Ohtani‘s fielding exploits on the mound.
Hey siri remind me every day:
— Chris Bassitt (@C_Bass419) February 6, 2022
Catch liners with your glove not your face. Thanks.
Chris Bassitt keeping sense of humor about unfortunate incident
It was easy to fear for the worst when Bassitt was struck with that line drive. He was bleeding profusely as he was slumped on the mound, and although he was conscious when he was carted off the diamond, there was no telling if he would be okay.
He would end up requiring surgery to repair those facial fractures and was in good spirits throughout his ordeal. While he vigorously worked to return to the mound last year in a quest to help push the A’s to a postseason berth, there were questions as to how he would handle pitching in a major league game once again.
Not only was Bassitt able to return to the mound and perform well, but he showed how much he meant to the A’s as a whole. His injury coincided with their slump, a rough few weeks knocking them out of a spot in the playoffs. By the time he returned, it was too late for him to push the team back into the postseason.
Throughout it all, Bassitt has managed to keep his sense of humor. He has made several jokes about his misfortune and being hit with that line drive. This reminder is just another sign that Bassitt has not had any ill effects from being struck.
Chris Bassitt is keeping his sense of humor about being struck with a line drive. One has to imagine he will not need Siri to remind him to use his glove.