Toronto Blue Jays: T.J. House Doing Well After Line Drive Scare
By Tim Haberin
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher T.J. House was hit in the head by a line drive on Friday, but he has rejoined the team and is reportedly feeling good.
Pitchers getting struck by line drives is regrettably not an uncommon occurrence in Major League Baseball. Toronto Blue Jays left-hander T.J. House was the latest to be involved in such a frightening incident. On Friday, he was hit on the back of the head by a ball off the bat of Tigers catcher John Hicks during the ninth inning of a spring training game.
The ball ricocheted high in the air after striking House, who collapsed face-down on the mound. He lay there for about 20 minutes, according to ESPN.com, while trainers and medical staff treated him. Naturally, the other players were too shaken up to complete the game. House was put on a stretcher and carried into an ambulance, but in a promising sign, he gave a thumbs-up up to the crowd.
House was released from the hospital yesterday, and thankfully it sounds like his injuries were not nearly as bad as the scary moment may have suggested. Per ESPN’s Jayson Stark, House says he is “not feeling any lingering effects from the injury.” He added:
"“Obviously, it was definitely a rough day yesterday,” said House, who was released from Lakeland Regional Medical Center earlier Saturday. “Whirlwind experience – and I’m doing a lot better than I thought I would be doing today. Definitely got some good news at the hospital. Just excited to be back here and kind of get into a normal routine again.”"
House has rejoined the team, but obviously the Blue Jays aren’t going to just toss him back into the action. The 27-year-old reliever does not have a fractured skull, but he is still being monitored closely for concussion symptoms. Stark reports that Jays general manager Ross Atkins told him the club will take an “extremely conservative” approach with House before putting him back on the mound.
After pitching the last three years with the Cleveland Indians, House signed a minor league deal with Toronto back in December. In 2014, he enjoyed his best numbers and most playing time, producing a 3.35 ERA over 19 outings (18 starts). He made four early-season starts in 2015, but struggled to a 13.15 ERA. Last year, House made four relief appearances in July, tossing only 2.2 innings.
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House likely wasn’t going to make the Blue Jays bullpen out of camp, but a strong performance could have given them something to think about later on in the season. It remains to be seen whether he’ll have the chance to pitch in another game this spring, but for now, he and his team will just be glad he’s all right.