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You could hear the crack and gasps as Archie Bradley hit the dirt after Colorado Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez sent a hard fastball back at the starting pitcher’s face. After that, Chase Field was silent as Bradley laid nearly still, just his feet moving in what was obviously agonizing pain.
The terrifying event for the Arizona Diamondbacks occurred on an already sad day as former-manager and baseball icon Kirk Gibson announced he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
After several minutes, Bradley gave the crowd a thumbs-up as he was able to walk off the field under his own power, the right side of his face bloodied and swollen to the size of a grapefruit. According to the medical staff, Bradley never lost consciousness and was tested at Phoenix’s St. Joseph’s Hospital, a location known for its neurological institute.
Ken Crenshaw, head athletic trainer for Arizona, mentioned during the team’s postgame interview that the results seem “favorable” for Bradley. After several tests it seems there are no symptoms of a concussion, vision loss or broken bones. More will be released in upcoming days when the swelling and pain diminish; however, manager Chip Hale hinted that the DL is currently a top-option the organization.
The pitch that dropped Bradley clocked at 115 mph off Gonzalez’ bat, and it was just as scary to watch as it sounds.
Bradley has been the only bright spot in a tumultuous lineup. Coming into Tuesday’s outing against the Rockies, the future ace had posted a 2-0 record and a terrific 1.45 ERA in his first three starts, the best start for a Diamondbacks pitcher through three outings in the club’s history.
It’s even more impressive that Bradley did it against Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner and Yovani Gallardo, some of baseball’s top pitchers. There is no intimidation factor for the young pitcher whatsoever.
The rest of the rotation hasn’t fared nearly as well. The other four pitchers have a combined 4.25 ERA and have only given the club four wins, two of those earned more by Diamondbacks bats than pitching.
The most likely player to replace Bradley if he does end up the on the DL would be Randall Delgado, whose ERA sits at solid 1.94 to go along with a .94 WHIP. The problem is that Delgado has strictly been delegated to bullpen duty and is rarely used for more than one inning. In other words, the rotation is in even more trouble than before the season started.
Another possibility would be Andrew Chafin who came in relief for Bradley. Chafin loaded the bases twice and conceded three runs (one earned run given to Bradley) in 2.2 innings of relief.
While the organization wasn’t expected to compete for much regardless, the club has seen its share of bad luck. Add Bradley to the list with Patrick Corbin, Bronson Arroyo and David Hernandez of key-pitching contributors lost to injuries.
