The high-octane energy at Progressive Field for the Cleveland Guardians-Detroit Tigers matchup with the AL Central hanging in the balance quickly turned into a scary scene in the bottom of the sixth inning. With Tigers ace Tarik Skubal on the mound, the Guardians already had cut the lead to 2-1 with runners on first and third and no outs with DH David Fry coming to the plate.
After a couple of pitches, though, Fry tried to catch the Tigers defense slipping and square around for a bunt. As he squared around late, though, Skubal uncorked a 99 mph fastball to the inside. The ball then came in right at Fry's face and, while they said on the broadcast that the ball hit the DH's bat first, it ultimately ended up hitting Fry right in the face.
There is a non-close-up video of the pitch and the aftermath, but you'll need to keep scrolling to see it just in case anyone needs a trigger warning for a legitimately terrifying scene in Cleveland.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Guardians DH David Fry hit in the face by 99 mph Tarik Skubal fastball
You've been warned, so here's a look at the pitch and the scarily quiet scene that took place late in Tigers-Guardians.
Oh my god, I hope David Fry is okay. What a terrible scene in Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/00Kx2JOSYF
— Dillard Barnhart (@BarnHasSpoken2) September 24, 2025
Perhaps the most jarring part of the scene was Skubal's reaction almost before the ball even reached the plate and Fry. He threw his hat and glove and immediately looked as if he was going to be sick after it happened. And that was only made scarier and more unsettling with Fry just lying on the ground with his hands over his face.
Eventually, the cart came out to pick up Fry, quite quickly, and he was able to sit up under his own power, though there was considerable blood on the towel he was using to hold his face.
Fry, obviously, immediately left the game after being hit by the pitch and was replaced by George Valera. We're still waiting on an update for Fry's status, but the game carried on — and the Guardians took over the action.
Update: After the game, a 5-2 win for the Guardians, the club announced that Fry is "undergoing further medical testing" nearby at Lutheran Medical Center. There is no word on any injuries or his condition at this time.
Terrifying hit-by-pitch was in middle of Guardians comeback
In the same at-bat with Valera after the hit-by-pitch, Skubal fired a wild pitch that allowed the tying run to score for Cleveland. He then balked a runner over to third base, then gave up an RBI groundout for the Guardians to take the lead. They later added on with a two-RBI single in the following inning to go up 5-2 at home.
While everyone's thoughts were obviously with Fry after such a horrible incident at the plate with Fry and hoping that the veteran is okay, it created even more mixed emotions in this situation. One could argue the Guardians and Tigers were playing the most important series of the season as it pertains to the MLB postseason race. So to have something like this happened created a strange energy.