Jake Jewell’s third major league appearance took a gruesome turn Wednesday night at Fenway Park.
The Los Angeles Angels reliever suffered a serious right ankle injury in the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox while trying to cover home plate on a passed ball.
Jewell appeared to slip while receiving a throw from catcher Martin Maldonado as J.D. Martinez ran home from third base, and his right ankle got caught under him, bending at a horrific angle.
You can watch video of Jewell’s injury here, but be warned: It’s pretty graphic.
Here’s a photo of the play, which shows Jewell’s ankle bending in a way ankles aren’t supposed to bend:
David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
The frightening injury may have reminded some Boston fans of Gordon Hayward, who suffered a graphic ankle injury during his Celtics debut last October.
Jewell was carted off on a stretcher during a lengthy delay and taken to Massachusetts General Hospital for further evaluation, according to Angels manager Mike Scioscia.
Martinez didn’t cause Jewell’s injury by any means but still expressed remorse about the play after the game, a 9-6 Red Sox win.
“I felt bad. I kept saying, ‘I didn’t touch him,'” Martinez told reporters, via MLB.com. “I didn’t feel any kind of impact or anything like that. So I mean those are kind of the scariest ones almost. So it looked like he was in a lot of pain. Obviously, prayers to him, and I feel bad. You never want to see that happen.”
The Angels had recalled Jewell from Triple-A Salt Lake earlier that day to provide bullpen depth. The 25-year-old made his major league debut just 11 days prior on June 16.
