Seattle Mariners Pitcher George Kirby Survives 102 MPH Line Drive

Seattle Mariners pitcher George Kirby faced a terrifying moment on the field when a 102 mph line drive struck him in the face. The incident occurred during the fifth inning of a game against the Baltimore Orioles on June 3.

After being hit by a ball off the bat of Orioles infielder Ramón Urías, Kirby, 27, was seen bleeding from his mouth. Despite the severity of the impact, he remained remarkably composed. “I didn’t even hurt, honestly,” he stated post-game. “It got my hand — like 50/50, hand-mouth — but we’re good. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

In a split second, Kirby managed to raise his glove and hand, partially deflecting the ball before it made contact with his mouth area. “I didn’t even see it coming, just put my hand up,” he recounted. “I’m just glad it kind of missed any of the bad spots on my face.”

Despite the injury, Kirby recorded the third out of the inning and walked off the field with blood trickling down his chin. He did not return to the game and was escorted up the dugout’s tunnel by Rob Scheidegger, Mariners vice president of high performance and medical.

Mariners manager Dan Wilson addressed the situation, noting that Kirby would undergo further evaluation, potentially including X-rays. “You just don’t know, sometimes, how those things go,” Wilson remarked. “Because you have a lot of adrenaline going at the same time. But I’m just glad, I’m really happy that and hoping things turn out OK. And it could have been something way worse.”

This game marked Kirby’s third start since returning from the injured list after an eight-week absence due to right shoulder inflammation. The Mariners ultimately lost to the Orioles 5-1, with Kirby taking the loss after pitching 5.0 innings, allowing eight hits and two earned runs.

Despite the defeat, Kirby found a silver lining in his performance. His pitch count reached 96, his highest since his last start of the 2024 season. “That was huge,” he expressed. “I felt great. Obviously, I don’t want to throw many pitches in five innings. But I’m glad I feel really good from it — after it — so that’s a good sign.”

Reflecting on his outing, Kirby added, “I think they just got a little lucky with some of the hits getting through. But I definitely executed a hell of a lot better this week. So, I’m super happy about that.”