Is Chris Bassitt OK? Oakland pitcher takes line drive straight to head, fans pray for him

The Oakland A's were handed a major scare on August 17, after pitcher Chris Bassitt was forced to leave the field with a bloody face. During the game against the Chicago White Sox, Bassitt was hit on the head by a line drive, and fell to the ground. Social media was quick to send out thoughts and prayers to the 32-year-old, who was taken off the field in a golf cart. The game did eventually continue, as Bassitt seemed conscious and awake. 

Bassitt's shocking injury isn't the first baseball fans have had to contend with this year. In June, Durham Bulls' Tyler Zombro was hit in a similar fashion, leading to the game being canceled after he began convulsing on the pitch. Other less serious medical conditions have also affected games this season. In late June, the scorching heatwave led to  Los Angeles Angels pitcher Dylan Bundy throwing up mid-game. On July 4, SF Giants fans were left shocked after Buster Posey was forced to walk off after injuring his finger.

Luckily, all three men have survived their scares. Zombro is currently on the mend but is expected to return to the field soon. Hopefully, the injury to Bassitt shouldn't be serious. We've had a few updates since the incident occurred, here's the latest.

Is Chris Bassitt ok?

On the field, Bassitt seemed to be ok. After taking the drive, he fell to the ground clutching his face. We won't share the video of the incident here because it can be disturbing, but you should know he appeared to be conscious. Bassitt appears to have been hit on the side of the head and spent a few minutes down. He was quickly surrounded by teammates, while others took a knee for the pitcher. 

A golf art then arrived with medical staff, who tried to get him up. Bassitt was seen getting up with some assistance, and a blood-soaked towel was visible around his face. After a few minutes, he managed to stand up and get into the golf cart. As he does, the crowd begins applauding Bassitt. He was then taken off the field. Here's video footage of Bassitt being taken off the field, as the crowd applauds. It was uploaded by The Rickey Henderson of Blogs, who tweeted, "Chris Bassitt eventually left the field on a golf cart after getting hit in the head by a comebacker." 

 

The incident occurred in the bottom of the second inning, with Bassitt being hit by batter Brian Goodwin's shot. The drive was recorded at around 100.1 miles per hour, indicating that the injury might be serious. Thankfully though, it appears as if Bassitt isn't in any immediate danger. A short while after the incident, the Athletics put out a statement on Twitter and said, "Chris Bassitt is conscious and aware, and is on his way to the hospital. We will provide additional information when possible."

 

'That was hard to watch'

As news of Bassitt's injury made its way to social media, Twitter was quickly flooded with prayers for the Athletics star. One user tweeted, "Thoughts and prayers with Chris Bassitt and his family. That was hard to watch." Former pitcher Dallas Braden tweeted, "There’s nothing scarier as a pitcher. It’s a thought you eliminate from your mind each time you take the mound. You can’t let it creep in. Not for a minute. Should this day come you just hope you wake up. I am sick to my stomach. Please keep Bass in your thoughts tonight."

 

"Scary scene for sure. Hoping for the best, praying for Chris Bassitt. #BiggerThanBaseball," one person said. Another said, "Heard about the Chris Bassitt news and saw the video. Once was one time too many. Best wishes to Chris and hopefully he will be able to pitch again this year." One user commented, "Pitchers need to wear more protective head gear. These hitters are stronger and hit the ball harder than ever. Thinking of Chris Bassitt tonight."

There's been no update from the Athletics since the last tweet. We will let you know when we get to know more about Bassitt's condition. For now though, please do pray for his wellbeing. The game was not suspended and is still being played in Bassitt's absence. At the time of publication, the White Sox were leading 9-0 in the end of the sixth inning.