MLB injury roundup: Heyward, Stassi land in hospital after being hit by pitches

Here’s a roundup of Wednesday’s injuries, plus updates on star players who are on the disabled list.

Aug 22, 2013, 12:30 PM UTC

Mike Stobe

A pair of players made early exits on Wednesday after falling victim to one of baseball’s scariest situations.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward and Houston Astros catcher Max Stassi were both hit in the head by errant pitches. Both players walked off the field under their own power, but at least one will likely miss the remainder of the season.

Heyward suffered a broken jaw and will miss four to six weeks, which isn’t much less than what is left in the regular season. He is scheduled to undergo surgery on Thursday and will be restricted to a diet of strictly soft foods, per Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi.

Stassi took a 96 MPH fastball from Texas Rangers reliever Tanner Scheppers off the face by way of his shoulder, and has been taken to the hospital for evaluation, the Astros announced after the game. The 22-year-old rookie was appearing in his second big-league game and earned his first career RBI as a result of the hit-by-pitch.

New York Yankees infielder Jayson Nix and Cincinnati Reds reliever Jonathan Broxton also suffered injuries on Wednesday that will likely result in time spent on the disabled list.

Nix was hit by an R.A. Dickey knuckleball and was diagnosed with a fractured left hand during a game in which he was starting in place of Alex Rodriguez. The Yankees have yet to announce the amount of time Nix is expected to miss.

Broxton faced two batters, allowed a home run and a walk and was pulled immediately afterward. He will likely return to the DL less than two weeks after being activated from it, according to John Fayman of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

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Several other players, including a pair of stars, could be back in action soon after missing time due to injuries:

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday. He likely won't be activated until sometime after the start of the Yankees' series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout will be re-evaluated after an "aggressive" workout on Friday. He has missed the past three games with a hamstring injury.
Detroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo on Thursday, the team announced. Avila has been out of action since Aug. 10 with concussion-like symptoms.
Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez was eligible to return from the DL on Wednesday but is still "not close" to returning, per Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Gonzalez, who has a sprained middle right finger, could resume swinging a bat on Thursday.