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#Twins SS Kyle Farmer to have teeth realigned after taking fastball to jaw [Video]

Minnesota Twins shortstop Kyle Farmer needs to have his teeth realigned after taking a fastball to the face Wednesday, and the scary part is the damage could’ve been even worse.

Farmer exited the Twins’ game against the Chicago White Sox after a hit-by-pitch from Lucas Giolito in the fourth inning. The pitch was a 91.6 mph fastball that immediately sent Farmer to the ground, where he remained facedown in clear pain. You can see the play here.

Farmer left the field under his own power and was replaced at shortstop by utilityman Willi Castro. Giolito was visibly distraught after the pitch and walked the next batter, then allowed his first run on a Michael A. Taylor groundout.

The Twins won the game 3-1.

After the game, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters that Farmer would undergo a procedure the same day to realign his teeth and close a laceration in his lower jaw but had avoided the more feared outcome of a fractured jaw:

“Thank god we got the news that was better than what we were expecting. It looks like he is going to have a procedure today to realign his teeth and to fix a major laceration of the lower jaw. It doesn’t appear that there’s actually a fracture or fractures, which is probably some sort of miracle, if that’s the case.

“One of the more difficult days that you’re going to have at a ballpark. You just can’t stop thinking about him and what he’s gone through and what he’s about to go through.”

It’s unclear how long Farmer will be out following the dental procedure.

Apr 12, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Kyle Farmer (12) drops to the ground after getting hit by a pitch in the face by the Chicago White Sox in the fourth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports — The Twins avoided a worst-case scenario with Kyle Farmer’s hit-by-pitch, but it’s still pretty bad. (Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports)

Farmer is in his first season with the Twins after being traded the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for pitching prospect Casey Legumina last offseason. In 11 games, he has hit .233/.286/.355 with one homer and five RBIs, including a walk-off single last week.

The 32-year-old previously spent four seasons with the Reds and two with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Over the course of his seven-year career, he has evolved from a little-known catching prospect into a super-utility man who started the majority of Reds games at shortstop in 2021.

Originally published April 13, 2023, 12:26 AM

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