From Rob Biertempfel at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:
Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett fouled a ball off his face near his right eye this morning during a bunting drill in spring training camp.
Momentarily dazed, Burnett dropped into a crouch at the plate after the ball struck his face. As he was examined by an athletic trainer, Burnett joked, “Where did the bone go?”
Biertempfel adds that Burnett wasn’t bleeding as he left the field and the injury is not likely to be serious.
Burnett hasn’t needed to practice with a bat in his hands since he spent the 2005 season with the Florida Marlins, playing all subsequent years in the American League – where teams use designated hitters to hit for the pitchers – with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.
The 35-year-old has talked about being excited to swing the bat and also lay some bunts down this season in the National League, but it looks he could use some more practice. Thankfully, he has over a month of Spring Training to do so.
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