SURPRISE, Ariz. — Rockies relief pitcher Rafael Betancourt was hit in the face with a line drive during the sixth inning Thursday against the Royals. He was immediately removed from the game with a bruise on the right side of his jaw.
“It’s part of the game,” Betancourt said. “It’s the first time it happened to me, though. I just tried to react.”
Betancourt did not appear to suffer concussion symptoms, Rockies athletic trainer Keith Dugger said.
Almost exactly a year ago, Reds closer Aroldis Chapman left this same field on a stretcher after he was struck in the face by a line drive hit by the Royals’ Salvador Perez. Chapman suffered broken bones near his eye and nose.
Kansas City’s Brett Eibner hit a line drive that deflected off Betancourt’s glove, hit him on the side of the face and bounced toward first base. Betancourt stayed on his feet. But Colorado catcher Ryan Casteel ran over to the pitcher to check on him. Dugger and pitching coach Steve Foster followed them to the mound, and Dugger examined Betancourt’s neck and head.
“It got him pretty good. So we’re being cautious with him,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. “He passed all the tests out there. We just didn’t see any reason to leave him out there.”
Betancourt walked off the field with Dugger.
“I would like to have stayed in the game,” Betancourt said. “But that’s fine. I don’t want to make this a big deal.”
At 39, after undergoing Tommy John surgery to reconstruct his elbow in 2013. He played through the Rockies’ minor-league system late last season as part of his rehab. He’s on the bubble for a final spot in the Rockies’ bullpen.
CarGo looking good. Playing late Wednesday in just his sixth Cactus League game since returning from knee surgery that ended his 2014 season in August, Carlos Gonzalez looked even quicker than he did early last season.
“I felt like I was flying,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez pulled a hard line drive to the right-field corner in the fourth inning and sprinted to a standup double.
Gonzalez is playing at 210 pounds — the lightest he’s been since his first season with the Rockies, down from 235 last season.
“I’m feeling a lot better now. I’m not thinking about my legs anymore,” Gonzalez said. “The last couple of games, I feel like I can take extra bases. It’s only been four or five games. Feeling like that is a huge thing for me. I put a lot of work in this offseason to get to this point.”
Rockies 13, Royals 2
At Surprise Stadium
Hits: Nolan Arenado’s 3-for-4 day at the plate, with two home runs and five RBIs, edged Rockies pitcher Jordan Lyles (four perfect innings) for player of the game. Lyles struck out two and forced five groundouts. Arenado has been the Rockies’ best hitter through the first half of spring training.
Misses: Kraig Sitton allowed the Royals’ first hit, a solo home run in the fifth to Kendrys Morales.
What’s next: Jorge De La Rosa, pegged to start the Rockies’ home opener April 10, will pitch against Oakland’s Jesse Chavez at Salt River Fields at 2:10 p.m. MDT. Eddie Butler, Tommy Kahnle and Scott Oberg are also scheduled to pitch. Nick Groke, The Denver Post
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