tampa-bay-prospect-pitcher-tyler-zombro-reveals-gnarly-brain-surgery-scar-taking-line-drive-hit-head

Tampa Bay Prospect Pitcher Tyler Zombro Reveals Gnarly Brain Surgery Scar After Taking Line Drive Hit to the Head

A freak accident left one Tampa Bay prospect pitcher on a rushed trip over to the emergency room.

Tyler Zombro is a pitching prospect for the Tampa Bay Rays. He was playing against the Norfolk Tides in Durham on June 3 and the game was nearly done as it entered the eighth inning. Suddenly, Brett Cumberland stepped up to bat and hit a killer line drive. The ball struck Zumbro straight in the face and he fell to the ground on impact.

It all happened so fast — it was like lightning had struck the field.

According to ESPN, the nearby athletic trainer rushed to his side and discovered that Zombro’s feet were shaking as he was unconscious on the ground. He was immediately transported to the hospital.

Tyler Zombro Scar Photos

He eventually underwent very major brain surgery at Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina. Now, the pitcher shared a series of pictures of his gnarly post-operative scar on his head to fans on social media.

He captioned the photo, “Unbelievably grateful to be in the situation I’m currently in with the incredible help from @DukeHospital & staff. To all of you that have showered my family and I with positive thoughts, I have no doubt that all of the prayer support kept God with me throughout that night.”

Tyler Zombro has been optimistic and positive regarding the entire situation. He has expressed his gratitude for baseball fans everywhere, the medical staff, as well as the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

He even joked, “In optimistic news: I’ve never been the fastest on the field so I may have gotten a boost after this surgery.”

According to CBS Sports, Zombro spent five days in the intensive care unit in the hospital. Then he spent two more days recovering in the hospital. He was released on June 9, but must continue with outpatient and occupational therapy.

Tyler Zombro has been with the Rays since he signed with them as a free agent back in 2017.

Hopefully, a speedy recovery will allow him to return to that pitcher’s mound soon.

Baseball Foul Ball Injuries

While injuries on the field are common, they’re also quite common for fans sitting in the line of fire.

According to an investigation from NBC News, there were at least 808 reports of injuries from baseballs between 2012 and 2019. This ranges from anything like a concussion or even more drastic injuries like full permanent vision loss. Perhaps one of the saddest examples is when a grandmother went to a game at the Dodgers Stadium to celebrate her 79th birthday and got struck by a foul ball in the head. She sadly passed away from the incident.

An article from People detailed several stories of people getting hit head-on by foul balls. Jordan Skopp, the founder of a nonprofit called Foul Ball Safety Now, is hoping to get more netting.

“When I hear about fans getting injured at baseball games, specifically from foul balls, I get upset, as this could be a non-issue if stadiums had full netting all around,” Skopp said.

Some baseball-related injuries seem nearly unavoidable, such as the line drive that hit Tyler Zombro. Others can seem preventable with certain safety measures.

, ,