Flying helmet slams Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera in face

An innocent bystander in the dugout, Detroit Tigers superstar Miguel Cabrera was hit in the face by an upset Nick Castellanos’ flying batting helmet.

On first base with the Detroit Tigers attempting to pull away from the Los Angeles Angles on Wednesday night at Comerica Park, third baseman Nick Castellanos heard the call for a pinch runner. In came reserve Andrew Romine. Castellanos couldn’t believe it. He briefly raised his arms in protest and lumbered back to the dugout.

Furious, Castellanos palmed his batting helmet, shouted, and slammed it off a bat rack. He lost control and it ricocheted out and struck first baseman Miguel Cabrera in the face. The slugger immediately displayed discomfort, raising his hand up to his eye.

Fortunately for Castellanos, the Tigers’ $292 million investment was OK and in the lineup Thursday for the three-game series finale. Both appeared fine. In the first two innings Thursday, Cabrera generated a RBI single and Castellanos slammed his sixth home run.

After Wednesday’s win, however, the young infielder received a post-game lecture from manager Brad Ausmus, who otherwise understood Castellanos’ competitive nature, according to the Detroit Free Press.

““People throw their helmet in baseball all the time,” Ausmus told the Free Press. “Nick’s a competitive guy. He wants to run the bases. It was my call to put Romine in there.”

Right call

Tactically, it was a solid managerial move. The Tigers led the Angels, 1-0, in the bottom of the eighth inning. They needed insurance runs. Romine is swifter of the two and Romine often enters in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement during close games.

“The fact of the matter is that Romine was going to play and Romine might be our best baserunner,” Ausmus said. “So, if I’m going to make that move, I might as well make the move right there.”

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As it turned out, baserunning ability didn’t matter much when Justin Upton slammed a three-run homer later that inning, sealing the 4-0 victory.