After being hit in the face with a 91 mph fastball on Saturday, Atlanta Braves utility player Charlie Culberson has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. However, Culberson did receive good news on Sunday, when he learned there was no potential vision impairment and none of the fractures were of the displaced type.
“There’s no surgery required, which is really good,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s probably about the best-case scenario, to be honest. All of the fractures are not displaced. It’s things that will heal. He’s just got to be careful for a while with his activity.”
Update on @cculberson8: pic.twitter.com/W2h5AgwBum
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 15, 2019
Charlie Culberson out for the Season
The Injury
The injury occurred during the top of the seventh inning of Saturday’s 10-1 win over the Washington Nationals. Culberson was attempting to bunt when an unintentional pitch got away from Fernando Rodney. He immediately fell to the ground, clutching his face as the home plate umpire motioned for the Braves trainers to give him immediate medical attention. After laying on the ground for a few minutes with a towel over his face, Culberson was eventually carted off. He gave a “thumbs up” sign to Rodney and the crowd as he was being carted off.
Charlie Culberson squares to bunt and it goes right off his face. Ouch. pic.twitter.com/bd0l0sOKaq
— Paul Sporer (@sporer) September 14, 2019
Check-Swing Appeal
Snitker was ejected on the play that injured Culberson after going on a rant against home plate umpire Tim Timmons and first-base umpire Bill Welke. Timmons said that Culberson offered at the pitch and ruled it as a strike.
“I’m not going to get into that, but that’s just…,” Snitker said at his post-game press conference. “I’m sitting there looking at this guy, pool of blood on the ground, like, come on.”
Brian Snitker was FIRED UP! @Braves went on to score 9 runs after this happened.
(via @FOXSportsBraves)pic.twitter.com/eDubKJKmel
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 14, 2019
Braves Depth Takes a Hit
With the loss of Culberson coming just days after the Braves lost other utility man Johan Camargo, the Braves bench depth has taken a hit. They will have to rely on other players like Adam Duvall, Billy Hamilton, Francisco Cervelli, and Matt Joyce to produce in their absences.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
