Oakland Athletics pitcher Chris Bassitt was grateful to be sitting on the bench on Saturday.
After all, his visit to Oakland Coliseum came less than two weeks after he was hit in the face by a line drive.
Bassitt had surgery on Tuesday to repair bone fractures in his face, and while his eye was swollen, he has no problems with his brain or vision, according to MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos.
“All things considered, I somewhat dodged a bullet,” he told reporters, per Gallegos. “The prognosis going forward is looking great. I’m excited to be as lucky as I was.”
While things look good from a medical standpoint, it’s unclear whether Bassitt will be able to return for the 2021 season given that the regular season is nearing its end. A’s manager Bob Melvin said the 32-year-old could factor in out of the bullpen toward the end of the year, and the lefthander is ready to return as soon as possible.
“Obviously, the team is going to do everything to take care of me,” Bassitt said. “If everything progresses the way it should, I want to be back before the end of the season. Hopefully, I am.”
Bassitt was 12-4 through 25 starts in 2021, posting a 3.22 ERA while earning his first All-Star Game selection.
