What happened to Tanner Houck? Red Sox pitcher exits game vs Yankees early

Modified Jun 19, 2023 08:36 GMT

New York Yankees v Boston Red Sox — What happened to Tanner Houck vs. Yankees?

In Friday’s game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees, Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck was forced to leave early after being struck in the face by a line drive in the fifth innings.

Tanner Houck had been pitching a strong game, with the Red Sox holding a commanding 13-1 lead at the time of the incident.

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The line drive, hit by Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka, had a reported exit velocity of 90 miles per hour. Houck couldn’t react in time to protect himself, and the ball struck him in the face before he could lift his glove. Houck immediately sank to his knees on the mound, visibly shaken by the impact.

Replays later showed Houck bleeding from his upper right cheek, and he was quickly attended to by Red Sox medical staff. Though he was able to walk off the field under his own power, he immediately headed into the clubhouse to receive further medical attention.

The Red Sox later announced that Houck had suffered a facial contusion, providing some relief that the injury wasn’t more severe.

Who replaced Tanner Houck on the mound after his exit?

Joe Jaques came in as a replacement for Houck on the mound. Prior to his exit, Houck had pitched four solid innings, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk, while striking out two batters. He had been well on his way to securing a win for the Red Sox.

Tanner Houck had been delivering a solid performance aided by the impressive Red Sox offense which had managed to score 13 runs in four innings.

As of now, no further updates have been provided regarding the severity of Tanner Houck's facial contusion or his expected recovery timeline.

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Edited by Pablo Ricalde