CLEVELAND, Ohio — We may never know for certain whether or not Tarik Skubal’s 99 mph fastball made contact with David Fry’s bat during a scary hit by pitch in Tuesday’s game between the Guardians and Tigers.
Fry is not quite sure himself.
“That’s a great question,” the Guardians utility man said through a mask of bandages and stitches on Sunday. “I don’t know. I’ve heard both from many people. I know it made contact with my face, unfortunately.”
Speaking to reporters for the first time in the Guardians clubhouse ahead of Sunday’s regular season finale against Texas, Fry’s outlook remained remarkably positive.
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“They (doctors) just kept saying, you know, an inch up, an inch down, we could have had some real problems,” Fry said. “But all in all, I feel great.”
Fry was attempting to bunt against Skubal, the American League Cy Young Award favorite, during a critical sixth inning rally that ended with Cleveland pulling ahead on the scoreboard. But for several minutes a hush fell over the ballpark while Fry was looked at by trainers and eventually carted off the field.
“I don’t know if I was looking for a changeup, but I was waiting for the ball to kind of start tailing away,” Fry explained. “It started coming at me and tried to get the bat on it as quick as I could, but it didn’t happen.”
The injury required stitches to close a cut on his nose, though Fry said he wasn’t sure exactly how many stitches were needed. Doctors have indicated that surgery is not expected, though he has a follow-up appointment scheduled for Thursday once the swelling subsides.
What has stood out most in the aftermath has been the overwhelming support from both teams. Skubal visited Fry in the hospital following the incident, a gesture that Fry deeply appreciated.
“Skubal coming was a really cool, class act,” Fry said. “A lot of guys said he was pretty shook up after the fact.”
Perhaps most touching was how Fry’s teammates have rallied around him as they clinched a playoff berth, making sure he felt included despite being sidelined. Steven Kwan and his wife, Samantha, visited Fry in the hospital, cracking jokes with the All-Star designated hitter while doctors stitched his face closed.
Outpouring of support from teammates continued during Saturday’s playoff clinching celebration.
“This is such a close group, and I love all these guys,” Fry said. “Just getting pictures last night of them dousing my jersey with champagne. Just like, even when I don’t get to be a part of these things, like, the fact these guys fight for me is really cool.”
Manager Stephen Vogt said the club missed Fry’s presence during the first 60 games of the season as he recovered from reconstructive elbow surgery. Having a part of Fry in the dugout seemed like a natural fit.
“The person that he is, the player that he is, the caliber of teammate that he is, he should have been out there with us,” Vogt said. “But don’t forget about David and what he means to this team. Just because guys aren’t on the field, we have a number of guys that aren’t with us that are a huge part of us still and he’s one of them.”
The team’s support extended beyond the typical hospital visits. When Fry’s wife Rebecca and daughter Evelyn had to cancel a planned birthday party back home to fly to Cleveland, the Guardians organization stepped up in remarkable fashion, organizing an impromptu celebration for the toddler at the ballpark complete with characters from Disney’s Frozen.
“Even just guys coming in to sing Happy Birthday would have been above and beyond,” Fry said, emotion evident in his voice. “We watch Frozen 24/7. It was pretty special. Whenever people do stuff for you, its cool. But when they do something for your daughter, it was pretty dang awesome.”
Despite the injury likely ending his season, Fry maintains an optimistic outlook toward returning to the batter’s box next year.
“I’m already excited for that moment whenever it comes,” Fry said. “I don’t think it’ll get to happen this year, but, yeah, next year I’ll be so excited to be back in the box. I’m not worried about it. It’s part of playing sports, and I’ll be ready to go.”
Fry’s resilience mirrors that of his team, which has defied expectations to reach the postseason.
“It shows, like, kind of what this group is, how tough we are,” Fry said of the Guardians’ playoff push. “It’s so cool because everybody just assumed it was going to be a bad year and we’re not going anywhere, and these guys said, nope, here we go.”
While Fry won’t be able to participate on the field during the playoffs, he plans to remain present with the team.
“Just to be around the boys, try to be positive energy and, you know, if I can help them prepare for anything,” he said. “Just be a good clubhouse guy, be a good teammate and watch the boys win.”