Texas Rangers Outfielder Josh Smith Provides Update on Condition

Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Smith issued a “thank you” to supporters on Twitter the morning after being hit in the face by a pitch and hospitalized.

“Thank you to everyone who reached out and sent prayers,” he wrote. “I’m doing fine & will hopefully be back on the field soon.”

Smith was hit by a pitch in the face in the third inning of Monday night’s 2-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life Field. He immediately fell to the ground in a scary scene, as the Rangers medical staff rushed to his aid.

Smith was taken to an area hospital for further testing on his face and jaw. The CT scan revealed no further damage. His availability going forward is uncertain.

“It’s always scary,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said Monday night. “He got hit in the face there, he got hit in the lower jaw. We took him to the ER. He had some CT tests. They came out clean. We have good news there.”

The Rangers planned on re-evaluating Smith on Tuesday. Texas (3-1) plays the second game of a three-game set with Orioles (2-2) on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT.

The 89-mph sinker that struck Smith was thrown by Orioles reliever Danny Coulombe, who entered the game after starter Kyle Bradish was struck by a line drive off the bat of Jonah Heim.

Bochy said the loss of Smith didn’t lead to the Rangers’ first loss of the season, though it was difficult to stomach for the club.

“You hate to see it,” Bochy said. “We were all thinking about Smitty when it happened, but you do have injuries and you have to move on. I don’t think that played a part.”

Thank you to everyone who reached out and sent prayers. I’m doing fine & will hopefully be back on the field soon. 🙏🏼
— Josh Smith (@josh_smith8) April 4, 2023

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