Texas Rangers fans breathed a sigh of relief after outfielder Josh Smith gave a positive update on his condition Tuesday after being hit in the face by a pitch the night before.
Smith was beaned by an 89-MPH sinker thrown by Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Danny Coulombe and immediately crumpled to the ground. He was taken to a local hospital for tests and scans on his face and jaw.
Coincidentally, Coulombe was only in the game because Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish was struck in the foot by a 104 mph line drive off the bat of Rangers' catcher Jonah Heim an inning earlier.
"Thank you to everyone who reached out and sent prayers. I’m doing fine & will hopefully be back on the field soon," Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Smith tweeted.
Josh Smith, who is also a capable infielder, has made three starts in left field for the Texas Rangers this season. He is in his second major league campaign after making a 73-game debut for the Rangers last year. On the young season, he is hitting .250 with three runs in eight plate appearances.
Texas fans sent their well-wishes to Smith in reply to his tweet.
While Smith has yet to set the league on fire statistically, his hard-nosed playing style that features copious amounts of hustle and determination has made him a favorite of many a Texas Rangers fan just 76 games into his big league career.
There is no timetable regarding when Smith could return to the Rangers lineup. As Texas manager Bruce Bochy told reporters after Monday night's game:
"We did take him to the ER. He had some CT tests. They came out clean. So, we got good news there. He's feeling better as I'm speaking right now. Tomorrow, we'll just reevaluate him."
Rangers fans are hoping to see Smith back sooner rather than later.
Even Orioles fans chimed in with their well-wishes upon seeing Smith's update. Some things are just bigger than competition, and no one wants to see anyone get seriously hurt while playing the game of baseball.
Josh Smith came to Texas Rangers in Joey Gallo trade
Josh Smith was originally selected in the second round of the 2019 MLB draft by the New York Yankees out of LSU. He was among the four players the Rangers received from New York in trading Joey Gallo to the Yankees in the summer of 2021.