Milwaukee Brewers rookie relief pitcher Gus Varland was felled by a 105-mph line drive to the upper chest on Saturday, causing everyone to worry about his safety.
It was the bottom of the eighth inning as the Brewers faced the Padres in San Diego when the 26-year-old pitcher threw a hanging slider to Padres swatter Manny Machado. But the Padres star sent the ball screaming back right at Varland, who collapsed in a pile on the mound after being struck in the upper chest.
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After falling, Varland stood up immediately but soon took a knee. He was walked off the field under his own power after taking the shot, according to the New York Post.
For his part, Machado was thrown out at first base.
According to the team, Varland is bruised but suffered no broken bones.
“I’m more mad about that slider location,” Varland told reporters after the game. “It felt good out of my hand, it just didn’t get there. It came back at me, hit my hand and my chin and my left forearm. It just kind of rocked me a little bit. I felt fine though. I felt like I could have kept going but I think that’s the adrenaline talking there.”
Varland spent the last two years pitching Triple-A for the Dodger in Tulsa before the Brewers gave him the nod as their Rule 5 draft pick in Dec.
The Padres won the game 10-3 after losing the first two of the four-game series 4-3 and 11-2.
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