What happened Tuesday night at Progressive Field went far beyond baseball. In the Detroit Tigers’ 5-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, a frightening scene unfolded when Guardians DH David Fry fouled a 99 mph fastball from Tigers ace Tarik Skubal directly into his face.
Fry immediately collapsed near home plate as blood streamed from his nose. The Guardians later confirmed Fry suffered “minimally displaced, left-side facial and nasal fractures.” Thankfully, the injury will not require surgery, and he is expected to recover in six to eight weeks.
But the story didn’t end there. Hours later, Skubal made a trip to the Cleveland Clinic hospital to check in on Fry, a gesture that spoke volumes about the Tigers’ left-hander.
Skubal: “This is real-life stuff, not baseball game stuff”
“I was going there just to make sure he was all right,” Skubal said Wednesday as quoted by the Detroit Free Press. “This is a game but we’re all humans. And (expletive) like that happens. That’s real-life stuff, not baseball game stuff.”
Skubal admitted he was shaken in the moment. After Fry went down, the Tigers ace tossed aside his glove and cap, pacing behind the mound as medical staff rushed to Fry’s aid.
David Fry exited the game after being hit in the face by a pitch.
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 24, 2025
He was able to walk under his own power and was carted off the field. pic.twitter.com/IrFO20gBbR
Guardians manager: “Tarik Skubal is an unbelievable human”
Even Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who joined Skubal on the hospital visit, praised the act.
“Tarik Skubal is an unbelievable human,” Vogt said. “Yes, we’re competing. Yes, it’s important when we’re out on the field, but some things are bigger than baseball.”
Vogt stressed that the pitch was not intentional, but rather an unfortunate outcome of Fry’s bunt attempt.
“When you put yourself into a position to bunt correctly, you’re putting yourself in a vulnerable position,” Vogt explained. “He threw a fastball, and it just happened to be right at him. There was nothing he could do.”
A.J. Hinch on Skubal’s visit
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch also applauded his ace.
“Tarik cares about people first,” Hinch said. “I didn’t know Tarik was going to go over there, but I found out that he had stopped by and talked to him. That is very important for players to take care of players and for us to be people despite wearing different uniforms.”
Skubal on Fry: “His story is pretty cool”
For Skubal, there was also a personal connection. He had first met Fry during the All-Star Game and admired how the Guardians slugger fought his way into the majors.
“If you look at his story, not a high pick, kind of grinded his way up,” Skubal said. “His story is pretty cool. And unfortunately, through this circumstance, I’ll probably get to know him a little bit better, which might be a positive to bring out of this.”
Fry in good spirits
Despite the scare, Fry was reportedly in good spirits when Vogt visited.
“He’s in great spirits,” Vogt said. “I went and saw him last night joking around, normal David Fry personality. He’s a tough, tough kid.”
Fry will now spend time with family as he begins the recovery process. “We’re just super thankful that he’s home resting. His family’s coming to town, so they’ll be back together as a family tonight,” Vogt added.
Roster move
The Guardians placed Fry on the 10-day injured list and called up outfielder Johnathan Rodríguez from Triple-A Columbus as his replacement.
For Skubal, it was a reminder that baseball comes second to humanity. For Fry, it was a testament to his toughness and resilience, two traits that have defined his career.
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