The Los Angeles Angels called up Jake Jewell from the minors on Wednesday, but the day turned tragic after he suffered a gruesome ankle injury when sliding to cover home base at Fenway Park.
Jewell was called up from the minors on June 27 and was given his shot on the mound. After throwing for two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Jewell threw a wild pitch with runners on second and third, Sporting News reported.
The 25-year-old right-hander raced to cover home plate as Boston’s J.D. Martinez headed for home, but as he neared the plate, he slid awkwardly bending his foot back in a most unnatural way.
The slow-motion video is cringeworthy and graphic:
After only his third appearance in the majors, Jewell was carried off the field on a stretcher.
Later, Martinez said he hoped no one thought he was at fault for the shocking injury. “I felt bad. I kept saying, ‘I didn’t touch him,'” Martinez said.
“I hope he doesn’t feel bad like I slide into him right there like on purpose or something,” Martinez added. “Because that’s not what it was. Didn’t even touch him.”
“Hoping everything is OK… with Jewell,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora exclaimed. “That was tough to watch. But everybody in the dugout, in the clubhouse, will be praying for him. Hopefully, he can bounce back from that.”
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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