Marte hit in head by Manoah pitch, leaves A’s-Blue Jays game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Starling Marte exited the Athletics’ game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Friday night after getting hit in the head by a pitch from Alek Manoah in the top of the fifth inning.
Marte initially stayed in the game and scored a run on a two-run double by Matt Olson, but he did not take his position in center field for the bottom half of the inning.
Manoah got a little wild in the fifth, hitting Josh Harrison and then hitting Marte with the very next pitch, a 92 mph sinker.
Harrison and other A’s players were visibly upset with Manoah, and a large number of players stood in front of the visiting dugout while manager Bob Melvin and the team’s medical staff checked on Marte, who remained down on the ground for several minutes.
Marte has been a huge addition for the A’s ever since he came over in a trade from the Miami Marlins prior to the July 30 MLB trade deadline, and they can’t afford to lose him for any amount of time as they make a run at an AL playoff spot.
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Entering Friday’s game, Marte was slashing .343/.378/.485 with 10 doubles, three homers and 16 RBI in 31 games. He’s also an astounding 20-for-20 in stolen base attempts since joining Oakland.
Marte was 1-for-2 with the hit-by-pitch and two runs scored before he left Friday’s game.