LAKELAND, Fla. — Tigers catcher Grayson Greiner suffered a fractured nose, but avoided a concussion and more severe injuries, after being hit in the face by a fastball in Sunday’s 5-1 win over the Blue Jays.
Greiner will not need surgery and should be ready to return within a week, the Tigers announced Monday afternoon.
The catcher was struck by a 93.8 mph fastball, the first pitch from Blue Jays reliever Elvis Luciano, to begin the bottom of the sixth inning. Greiner went to the ground and grabbed his face as manager A.J. Hinch and the Tigers’ athletic training staff ran out of the dugout to attend to him.
“He was in a lot of pain when we got out there,” Hinch said. “He was a little bit, honestly, frightened. Trainers were right on top of it.”
Greiner eventually walked to the dugout under his own power, holding a towel to his nose and mouth, before going back to the clubhouse for evaluation from multiple doctors.
Greiner is competing with prospect Jake Rogers and non-roster invitees Dustin Garneau and Eric Haase for backup catching duties behind Wilson Ramos. Greiner, a third-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft, is off to a good start after working on his swing in the offseason, going 3-for-4 with four walks and one strikeout in five Grapefruit League games.