Miami Marlins left-handed pitcher Daniel Castano Suffered bruises on forehead and minor bruises on Thursday afternoon After being hit in the head with a comebacker in the first inning of his start against the Cincinnati Reds.
Castano, 27, was facing his fifth batter of the day off Reds third baseman Donovan Solano when he hit a 104 mph line drive. The ball hit the brim of his hat, possibly saving him from a worse outcome. You can watch the drama below, but we’ll warn that many viewers may find it disturbing.
Castano spoke to reporters after the game. His forehead was bandaged, but he joked that the first thing he asked for was that the Marlins fix the ball and record the out:
Castano entered Thursday having already appeared in nine games this season, including six starts. He compiled a 3.86 ERA (107 ERA+) and a 2.22 strikeout-to-walk ratio during that span. His final line on Thursday saw him record two outs and allow one run on two hits and no walks. He didn’t kill anyone.
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The Marlins replaced Castano with right-handed reliever Jeff Brigham. Manager Don Mattingly later covered the remaining eight-plus innings with a combination of six relievers, including four combined frames from Brigham and lefty Steven Ockert. Richard Blair, Anthony Bass, Zach Popp, and Tanner Scott also appeared.
The Marlins, who overcame a 5-4 deficit in the ninth inning to win by a 7-6 margin (box score), were led offensively by designated hitter Jess Aguilar. He had three hits and drove in four runs, with a pair coming for his 12th home run of the year. The Marlins, 47-62 on the season with the victory, now trail St. Louis by five games. Louis Cardinals in the National League wild-card race. Even so, SportsLine’s forecast gives them less than a 1 percent shot at making the playoffs.
