Twins’ Kyle Farmer returns from IL after HBP to face required 35 stitches, 4 root canals

The journey back for Kyle Farmer was a painful one.

The Minnesota Twins infielder was reinstated from the 10-day injured list on Wednesday after missing 25 games with a face injury from a hit-by-pitch, the team announced.

Farmer sustained the injury on April 12, when Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito hit him in the face with a 91.6 mph fastball. You can see the pitch here, but be warned it is a disturbing sight.

The damage was later detailed in an interview with Minneapolis’ KARE 11, and the final damage sounds brutal. Farmer reportedly needed 35 stitches, four root canals and wires to put his teeth back into place. It was as gruesome as it sounds:

The scary part is it could have been even worse, as Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters the team was more worried about a fractured jaw, specifically saying “Thank god we got the news that was better than what we were expecting.” A jaw fracture would have likely sidelined Farmer for much longer than the month he missed.

Farmer’s wife reportedly had an awful time too, as she told KARE 11 she was flying at the time of the injury and had to find out what happened through a Gameday app and video after the fact:

The injury interrupted Farmer’s first season with the Twins, who acquired him in a trade from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for pitching prospect Casey Legumina last offseason. In his first 11 games with Minnesota, the seven-year veteran hit .233/.286/.355 with one homer and five RBI.

Comments are closed.