Angels starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker has what the team is calling "a small skull fracture" after he was hit in the head by a vicious 105 mph comebacker off the bat of Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager during the second inning of Sunday's 4-2 win.
Although the right-hander was "speaking, interacting and doing well" after a third CT scan revealed some swelling where blood had clotted, Shoemaker underwent surgery Sunday night at Seattle's University of Washington Medical Center to stop the bleeding.
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Angels general manager Billy Eppler called the surgery "fairly routine,” and expects Shoemaker to make a full recovery and hopes he can pitch next season.
“We’ve exhaled a little bit,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said, via the Orange County Register. “They hopefully corrected what was causing the bleeding. He’s resting comfortably. Hopefully it looks like everything is taken care of. Now it’s just a recuperation process for Matty. Our thoughts and prayers are with him.”
Shoemaker, who never lost consciousness despite spending several moments in agony on the field, had allowed one hit with two strikeouts in 1 1/3 innings before the incident. He's expected to return to Southern California later this week, Eppler said.