Fort Myers, FL (SportsNetwork.com) - Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Matt Moore received stitches for a cut lip after he was struck in the face by a line drive during Sunday's spring training game against Boston.
Moore recovered to throw Xander Bogaerts out at first base to end the fourth inning. He didn't return to the game.
The Rays said Moore did not exhibit concussion symptoms and will continue to be monitored.
Tampa Bay won the game 9-2.
The play came just days after hard-throwing Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman suffered a fracture above his left eye when he was struck by a line drive in a game against Kansas City on Wednesday.
That scary incident renewed conversation about the safety of pitchers on the mound.
In January, Major League Baseball approved a padded hat for on-field use by pitchers in games starting this season. But the hat has drawn criticism as being cumbersome.
Arizona pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who suffered a skull fracture in a 2012 game when he was hit by a line drive while pitching for Oakland, has said he will not wear it the way it's currently made.
The hat does not have a protective mask and would not have kept Moore from being struck Sunday.
[SportsNetwork.com]
