Calhoun Fractures Jaw After Being Hit By Pitch

Texas Rangers left fielder Willie Calhoun in August 2019
Texas Rangers left fielder Willie Calhoun in August 2019. Photo by Albert Pena/CSM/Shutterstock (10369659k)

Willie Calhoun went down after being hit by a pitch in the bottom of the first inning in a 9-8 win over the Dodgers. The Texas Rangers’ outfielder was in visible pain and stayed on the ground for about 10 minutes until an equipment car took him off the field and to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

Calhoun was expected to be the Rangers starting left fielder after improvements the past couple of years. Tests revealed a fractured jaw which could mean missing significant playing time for Calhoun, in which case Texas could go with a few different options to fill in for him.

Calhoun was hit by Dodgers left-hander Julio Urias who was teammates with him in the Dodgers organization in 2017. Urias clearly didn’t intend to hit him and was visibly upset afterward, prompting general manager Dave Roberts to pay a mound visit to calm him down.