It’s always a scary moment when an ambulance shows up at a ballgame. It’s even more frightening when a player takes a big blow to the head just like leading MVP candidate, Giancarlo Stanton did during the Marlins Thursday night match against the Milwaukee Brewers. In the 5th inning, Mike Fiers busted Giancarlo up and in, and there was simply no avoiding the pitch. He was drilled on the left jaw-bone, and taken to the hospital via ambulance. There is no official word, but speculation is that Stanton has a broken jaw, and will need to have it wired shut. Fiers also hit Reed Johnson, causing benches to clear.
In the minds of many, Stanton is best player in the National League, and is well on his way to winning an MVP award. Stanton has belted a league-leading 37 home runs this year, and is slugging an impressive .554 with 105 RBI. I do not see this impacting his MVP race unless the bat of Buster Posey keeps mashing. Posey is batting .306 this year with 20 home runs.
The Marlins will certainly miss Giancarlo’s bat in the lineup, but with two weeks of the season to go, and the Marlins virtually out of contention, Stanton’s absence in late September is not that big of a deal. However, strange things have been known to happen in baseball, so if the Fish were going to make a run, they just lost just about any chance they had.
Head injuries have been increasingly common in the last few years around the majors. In 2012,The A’s Brandon McCarthy (Now with the New York Yankees) had a ball glance off of his skull forcing emergency brain surgery. McCarthy has since recovered, and is even having some success with the Bronx Bombers. Last season, J.A. Happ was beamed in the head in Tampa Bay, and Aroldis Chapman and Alex Cobb were both carted off the field after taking a ball to the noggin against Kansas City. These pitchers have all made their return to the bigs after what seemed like very dangerous head injuries.
If indeed Giancarlo Stanton does have a broken jaw, he will need to have his mouth wired shut. Broken jaws generally take about one or two months to heal, but there is no telling whether it is actually a break or not. Giancarlo Stanton will certainly be missed. Between Stanton’s stellar outfield plays, and show-stopping home runs, many fans have taken a liking to him. It’s unfortunate that it had to happen, but if anyone can come back from this, it’s Giancarlo.
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